T1: The Terminator
by TermGirl150
Summary: (A rewrite of the first Terminator movie. The first of many books to come that goes from 1984 to 2034.) May 10th, 1984. Sarah Jeanette Connor's biggest problem was not sticking out enough but little did she know that her life was about to take a very different turn. One with time traveling, robots, and a future depending on her survival.
1. Sarah Jeanette Connor

Author's Note:

Some things about the original franchise have been changed but I've left the most crucial things because I am a huge fan. For example, I have eliminated most of the vulgar language (because I don't curse) and there is no nudity that comes with time traveling, the violence is not as graphic so that it opens up the field for more people to read, etc. Rates, reviews, and suggestions are allowed.

Enjoy,

TermGirl150

 **Chapter 1: Sarah Jeanette Connor**

 **May 10th, 1984**

 **10:28 P.M.**

 **Los Angeles, California**

—

Sarah Jeanette Connor's day had been long and a lot busier than she would have liked it to be. As she walked the dark streets in the gentle rain she realized just how late it was. She contemplated whether or not she wanted to go home and sleep or go and visit with her best friend, Becky Holmes. She instantly decided that she wanted to talk to Becky so she walked onward, trying to gather her thoughts.

Sarah stopped and waited until the light turned red before she bolted across the street towards her apartment complex. She let out a deep breath as she stepped inside the building and began walking up the stairs. Becky always knew just what to say to Sarah and that meant a lot since she was 19 and out on her own, far from her mother. She passed her floor and went up one more before she knocked on Becky's door.

The door opened quickly and Sarah gave her friend a half-smile which caused Becky to cock her hip. She opened the door a little wider, letting her friend in.

"So… your day was _that_ bad?"

Sarah sighed as she plopped down on the ugly green sofa in Becky's living room.

"Yes, that bad."

Becky looked over Sarah with her dark brown eyes before she sat down next to her friend, pulling her legs close to her chest. Becky's black hair was no longer than the top of her shoulders and choppy, prompting Sarah to realize that she had probably cut it herself. Becky was known for speaking the honest truth and not caring what you think of it. Sarah had always thought her confidence was intimidating but she was hoping some of it would rub off of her.

Sarah turned to face Becky and pulled her fuzzy blonde hair down from its tight ponytail, letting it fall on her shoulders. Sarah had come straight from the diner so she was still in her short pink dress with the puffy white sleeves, making it hard to sit comfortably.

"I'm not even going to begin to tell you about the rest of my day because it was long but I need to ask for some advice."

Becky nodded slowly and grabbed her water bottle off the table, taking a sip before she responded.

"Shoot."

Sarah opened her mouth to speak but only a sigh came out as she rubbed her forehead.

"It's about dating."

Becky chuckled as she set the water bottle down, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, because I'm definitely an expert at dating."

"Well, I never really dated in high school so you know more than I do!"

Becky shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm thinking about just going to that new club, Tech Noir, and just going for it."

Sarah sat up quickly with a small laugh.

"That's hardly the ideal place to find a decent guy! Not everyone at the college is stupid."

"Coming from the 19 year old who is dating the football jock?"

Sarah's cheeks flamed red as she sat back, wishing she would be better at lying.

"One date, that's all we did! He asked so I said yes."

"Exactly, you said yes! You barely knew the guy and I didn't even know his name. And you know how much I like football."

Sarah rolled her eyes, nudging Becky's leg with her foot.

"That's because you don't like people."

"And that is true."

Sarah shook her head slowly as she let out a small sigh.

"I could pick better guys… it's just that my mom said I should try a whole bunch of different people, you know? That way you don't get stuck on one guy so quickly. It leaves a lot of options open!"

Becky chuckled as she looked over her friend.

"Yeah, that's your excuse!"

"Sam wants to get serious."

Becky's smile instantly faded into a look of surprise.

"Really? I mean, he's a good buy but…"

Sarah folded her arms, frowning since she already knew the answer.

"Not the one for me?"

Becky nodded slowly.

"Leave the jocks to the cheerleaders. Besides, I think you're going to eventually a find an adventurous guy and hook up with him."

"What!?"

Becky roared with laughter, leaning forwards to place her hand on Sarah's knee.

"Yes! The one who's kind of the outcast but is attractive in his own way with this aura of mysteriousness."

"You realize you could be describing a serial killer, right?"

"Oh come on, Sarah! You need a little adventure in your life. No offense but you are so boring and sweet which is great but you need to start looking to find what makes you different. Stop trying to blend in and stick out like a sore thumb for once."

Sarah shook her head slowly.

"I'd rather not stick out like that. You know me, I don't like when people are paying attention to me."

"Well, that's something you're going to have to get over if you are ever going to live your life."

A moment of silence passed between the two girls as they thought of just how different they were. Becky eventually broke the silence by grabbing the TV remote and flicking it on.

"Just crash here for the night, Sarah. There's this movie I've been meaning to watch with you and I think we both could use a little break."

"You couldn't be more right."


	2. The Target

**Chapter 2: The Target**

 **May 11th, 1984**

 **3:15 A.M.**

 **Los Angeles, California**

—

The dark alleyways in Los Angeles were quiet and empty with no one in sight for miles. A sudden rush of wind began to blow the trash around and carry it out into the streets. The wind began to pick up until it ripped through the alleys as if there was a hurricane. Out of nowhere, bright blue lightning began to crack across the sky, gathering power for the nearby power lines as it traveled down to the concrete.

The concrete was littered with sparks as a light humming sound began to rumble in the alley. A crack of thunder tore through the sky as the blue lightning began to form something in the middle of the sky. A giant blue bubble of electricity appeared in the dark sky, illuminating the alleyway. The bubble drew close to the ground before it opened and closed, spilling out a man before it disappeared.

The man stood tall with a face that was void of all expression. His body was ripped with muscles like a pro wrestler with a stern jaw, dark brown hair, and cold, calculating brown eyes. The man wore a large black leather jacket, a dark t-shirt, blue jeans, and thick boots. His head turned from left to right before he began walking forwards.

He moved strict and rigid as if every movement was programmed and it was. The man's brown eyes flashed red quickly as it pulled data from everything around him. Its operating system identified where it was and its mission appeared. The mechanical man continued to walk forwards, exiting the dark alley, stopping at the edge of the sidewalk. Its eyes scanned over the streets and passing cars, analyzing every aspect of the models, how fast they were going, and how useful they would be to it.

 _Target: Sarah Connor_

The machine walked down the street to a phone booth, noticing a short, drunk man shoving quarters into the machine. The machine gripped the man's shoulder and pulled him out of the phone booth, leaving him on the ground. The man groggily protested before he turned and threw up. The machine turned away from him and gripped the phone book, scanning over the C section.

Three names appeared along with their addresses and phone numbers.

 _Connor, Sarah Ann_

 _Connor, Sarah Emily_

 _Connor, Sarah Jeanette_

The machine's system tried to decipher which name was the target but there were no results of a middle name. The only thing it said was _Sarah Connor_. The machine internally processed all three of the women and marked them all as targets. The machine logged in Sarah Ann Connor's address and searched for the fastest route.

While the system looked for that, the machine crossed the streets, stopping at a closed gun shop. Its fingers curled into a fist and punched the door down with a crash. The machine stepped past it and looked over all the guns on the racks. After finding the most useful shotgun, he walked through the store, stealing as much ammo as it needed before turning to go out. The machine exited the store and began its pursuit of its greatest threat, _Sarah Connor_.


	3. Big Jeff's Diner

**Chapter 3: Big Jeff's Diner**

 **May 12th, 1984**

 **6:30 P.M.**

 **Los Angeles, California**

—

Sarah Connor leaned over the table, wiping it glumly with her wet rag. She hated being a waitress but it was one of the only things she was qualified to do so she had to. Music was playing faintly in the background of everyone chatting as they ate their dinner but she had learned how to tune most of that out. She let out a small breath once she had finished cleaning the table and walked back towards counter to see her boss, Liza, watching her.

Liza was a grumpy 33 year old woman with poofy black ponytail and dark blue eyes. Once Sarah approached her she turned her around, and pointed at a table across the diner.

"Table 14 needs their dinner served, sweetie."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced at Liza.

"But they're not one of my tables."

Liza growled and pushed Sarah towards their tray.

"Take it."

Sarah grabbed the tray and walked away from Liza, gritting her teeth as she forced a smile. One man held out his cup as she was walking by.

"Hey, can I get that coffee now?"

Sarah nodded quickly.

"Of course."

She stopped at the table and looked over the two men and woman with a small smile.

"Okay, who gets the Burly Beef?"

The man to the left of her in the red shirt spoke clearly.

"Uh, I ordered the Barbecue Beef."

The man to the right of her in a gray shirt interjected.

"I think that's mine but I didn't order fries."

The woman waved the gray shirt man off and spoke quickly.

"He gets the barbecue beef, mine's the Chili Beef Deluxe."

Sarah nodded slowly,

"Okay, who gets the Burly Beef?"

A woman in the corner called over to her.

"Miss, we're ready to order now?"

Sarah turned to face her and nodded as she began to set a plate down on the table.

"Yes, ma'am."

She heard a clatter and quickly turned to see that she had knocked a glass of water over on the man wearing the gray shirt. He jerked away and Sarah quickly set the rest of the plates down.

"Oh gosh, I am so sorry. Was this real leather?"

The man nodded slowly and she grimaced as she grabbed a towel from her apron and began to wipe up the mess. She moved as quickly as she could and stopped once she felt something cold in the pocket of her apron. She drew away slowly to stare at the young blonde boy ahead of her who had dumped a scoop of his ice cream in her apron. Sarah noticed a big smile on his face as he turned away to eat the rest of his dessert and Sarah let out a small breath, trying to keep her cool. She wished she could smack that look off of his face but wouldn't dare do it.

Sarah had never done well with children. She didn't have the patience to deal with all their messes. She had been fired multiple times as a teenager because she would lose her temper towards the children she was watching. She had grown up with a very strict mother so she was naturally raised the right way. Watching the children misbehave bugged her and she fought hard to try not to slap him but this little boy was clearly asking for it.

She turned back to the table she was serving and glanced between the three people.

"So nobody wants the Burly Beef?"

They all nodded and the man in the gray shirt pointed at his plate.

"Could you take the fries off too?"

Sarah nodded slowly and used a fork to scoop the fries off of his plate and onto the plate of Burly Beef that no one wanted. As she began to walk away, she turned back to the woman.

"I'll be right there. And sir, I will bring you another coffee."

Sarah quickly walked back and handed Liza the plate of Burly Beef.

"Table 14 did not order that but they do want a Chili Beef Deluxe."

She then hurried over and dumped the scoop of ice cream out of her pocket and into the trash as she walked by the coffee machine. She grabbed the man another cup and rushed back to him, with a smile before she stopped by the woman and her son, ready to take their order.

She worked tirelessly for the next few hours until her shift ended. She sighed with relief as she took off her work clothes and walked out as fast as she could. She drew in a deep breath of the warm California air as she walked along the sidewalks back to her apartment to finish some college assignments and then have the evening to spend with Becky.


	4. Tech Noir

**Chapter 4: Tech Noir**

 **May 12th, 1984**

 **11:47 P.M.**

—-

Sarah Connor found herself sitting at one of the tables in the new club, waiting patiently for the waiter to come around. Despite her best attempts, Becky had insisted that Sarah use her money to pay for anything she bought. Becky had run off with one of her rambunctious friends, Zoe, to dance and it looked like they were enjoying themselves. Sarah turned once the waiter came up and smiled.

"Yes, just a water."

"Right away, miss."

"Thank you."

The waiter left and Sarah found herself glancing back at Becky. She considered going out there and dancing but she knew that would never happen. Becky had been right about Sarah; she wasn't very adventurous and preferred to just sit on the sidelines. The waiter came back within a few minutes and Sarah thanked him again before he walked away to help another customer.

Sarah adjusted her tie dye pink shirt and rubbed her sweaty palms on her acid washed blue jeans. The club was pretty neat. It had strobe lights and the music was very loud which made it look great for dancing. It was split into the three sections; the first was the dance floor, then there was the bar, and then the restaurant part of it towards the back.

Sarah noticed Becky had moved to the bar and was talking to a man there. He had a glass in his hand and Sarah could tell that he was listening to every word Becky was saying but he seemed distracted. Becky burst out into laughter and he gave a weak, uninterested smile. He wasn't amused. Becky was a little drunk so Sarah didn't blame him. He kept looking around the club as if he was expecting someone.

Sarah pitied him at first but the longer she looked at him, the more handsome he looked. He had messy dark brown hair with pale green eyes that darted around the club. He was wearing a brown jacket with a plain blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and new looking sneakers. He was just a normal looking guy who wasn't interested at all in Becky but she kept rambling on. However, it didn't really seem to bother him.

Sarah knew she was staring at him and prayed he wouldn't look her way but she couldn't take her eyes off of him. He seemed to watch every move everyone made. Suddenly the cool expression left his face and he looked concerned. Sarah hesitantly turned to look the same way he was but she didn't find anything there. Sarah gasped and flinched in shock as she heard a voice speak in front of her.

"Sarah!?"

Sarah turned around quickly to face the man, her blue eyes wide with shock. The football jock she had dated once, Sam Bowden, was standing in front of her. She placed a hand over her heart, closing her eyes.

"Sam, you scared me."

Sam frowned as he sat down at the table across from her.

"I'm sorry, it's just… I didn't think I would find you here."

He continued to speak but Sarah quickly lost interest in his rambling. She smiled slightly as she realized Becky was still talking to that poor man. His concerned expression had changed once again and he looked as if he were ready to run at any second. Sam leaned forwards, placing a hand on her arm.

"Sarah, are you alright?"

Sarah turned to look at Sam slowly.

"What? Yeah, I just…"

She followed the man's gaze to see a tall man walking towards the restaurant. He was tall and ripped with muscles accompanied by dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore a leather jacket, a dark t-shirt, blue jeans, and thick boots. Sarah looked back and forth between the two men, wondering if maybe they had some bad blood or something like that.

She moved her arm to get a closer look, knocking the salt shaker onto the ground. She bent down quickly to pick it up. Just as she gripped the salt shaker she heard a loud gunshot go off. She flinched with surprise as her heart stopped beating for a few tense seconds. Sarah could see the man Becky was talking to earlier, holding a rifle, pushing her down to the ground behind the bar.

Sarah kept her head ducked; trying to figure out what was going on but something gripped her forearm, lifting her up. She screamed with shock as something pulled her up onto the bench. Sarah was face to face with the tall, ripped man. Her blue eyes were wide with terror as he pointed his gun directly in her face. Sarah's heart stopped as she stared straight at him, too terrified to move. She heard someone shout in the distance.

"GET DOWN, SARAH!"

She watched the man turn away from her and she ducked, watching as the man Becky had been talking to, shot the man in front of Sarah three times. She screamed as she fell over the table onto the floor. She scrambled to her feet, keeping an eye on both of the men. The man Becky had been talking to gripped her wrist and pulled her behind a table. Keeping a tight grip on her wrist, he kicked the table over and flattened themselves on the ground just as the other man's bullets began to rip through the wood.

They then began to crawl away, staying as low to the ground as they possibly could. Sarah's eyes searched the club for Becky but she was nowhere to be found. She tried to pull away to run another way but he kept a fierce grip on her wrist, dragging her along with him. Tears blurred in her eyes as they slammed the doors open, running as fast as they could out of the club towards cover.

In a panic, Sarah began to speak, staring at him with wide eyes.

"He… he didn't die! Why… why… why didn't he die!?"

The man's panicked pale green eyes locked onto her for a moment until they continued to run away from the club. Sarah tried to pull away, terrified, but he kept pulling her behind him.

"Who… who are you?! Who was that… thing!?"

"Just keep running! I'll explain everything, I promise!"

As they ran on the sidewalks, Sarah moved over and gripped a nearby pole, forcing him to let her go. Sarah ran as fast as she could, glancing over her shoulder to see him following close behind her. Whoever he was, he was fast. Tears blurred her eyes and adrenaline kept her feet moving as she dodged cars in the street, running towards her apartment. She glanced over her shoulder to see that the man wasn't following her anymore so she continued running, hoping she could escape.


	5. The Second Attack

**Chapter 5: The First Attack**

Sarah's breaths fell as heavy gasps as she felt her legs burn from physical exertion. She wanted to slow down and stop running but she couldn't. Everything that had happened at the bar was in the back of her mind, forcing her to keep moving. Her mind raced with thoughts that didn't make sense. The man who had protected her… he had known her name and she didn't know how. Then the other man… he had to have been shot at least five times and moved as if it didn't hurt him at all, much less kill him.

She shook her head and began to gasp as she ran towards the apartment complex. She pushed open the heavy glass doors and ran up the flights of stairs until she reached her apartment. Her hands were trembling so badly that she had dropped the keys twice before she was able to open and lock the door behind her. She placed a hand over her racing heart and walked to the phone to call 911.

Sarah tried to get her hand to stop shaking as she reached for the phone but before she could think about calling somebody to help her, her door was kicked down. Sarah fought a scream as she ducked behind the island counter with tears streaming down her cheeks. She was breathing so hard she was afraid that her lungs were going to fail her and she felt like she could pass out now from fear. She didn't think that anyone had been following her but apparently they had.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of what she could possibly do to try and escape but as heavy footsteps drew closer to her, her brain failed to come up with anything but 'run'. Sarah peeked out from the counter the slightest bit to see the undead man with his back turned to her, facing the door. She noticed another person by her door and placed a hand over her mouth to stop her scream as the man shot him down before he could say anything out loud. More tears fell from her blue eyes as she realized the hopelessness of her situation.

As the man began to walk towards the kitchen, Sarah took a leap of faith and crawled across the floor to her bedroom. She braced herself on the wall, hearing the man drawing closer. She slowly moved around her room, towards the back door, struggling to remain silent. Sarah grimaced as the lock on the back door clicked and she stopped breathing instantly. A bullet passed through the wall and she opened the back door as quietly as possible, running out onto the deck.

By the time she had reached the stairs, she turned to see the man had already caught up with her. Sarah heard his gun cock and she leapt down the stairs, crashing in between the two. She gritted her teeth and tried to rise to her feet but not before she felt something grip the back of her shirt. Sarah opened her mouth as if to scream again but a hand was quickly clamped over it as they began to run down the stairs. Once they were a floor below, he released her mouth and she saw the man she had abandoned a couple blocks away. Before she could say anything, he spoke.

"Come on, we have to run!"

"First tell me your name."

"Kyle Reese, now go!"

Sarah didn't fight him this time as he gripped her wrist, starting to sprint once they were out of the glass doors. Kyle Reese let go of her and pushed her from behind. They ran across the side of the building, ducking around the corner as they heard another gunshot.

Sarah jumped off of the curb and gasped in pain as she realized she had twisted her ankle. Her protector was right behind her, grabbing her arms. She gritted her teeth in pain as she limped beside him. She would have given up by now but he was continuing to push her forwards. They ran across the street, dodging oncoming traffic as the man behind them fired his gun in their direction.

One of the bullets hit a driver and he swerved to the left, heading straight for Kyle and Sarah. Kyle pulled Sarah to the left and ducked as the car crashed into a phone booth, sending glass flying in every direction. Kyle pushed Sarah back on her feet and led her towards a running car. The owner had run off to inspect the crash but Kyle intended on taking it.

Sarah climbed across the driver's seat to sit in the passenger's seat. Kyle slammed the car door shut behind him and put the car in reverse. He backed out quickly, slamming on the gas pedal. Sarah screamed and clutched the side of the car with her right foot propped up on the dashboard. Kyle turned back around in his seat to see the man standing right in front of the car, re-loading his shotgun.

Kyle squared his jaw and shifted so that the car would go forwards. He slammed on the gas pedal, pushing past Sarah's screaming. Her left hand was smacking his arm but he ignored it completely. He was focused on making sure the man wouldn't be able to catch back up to them.

"HOLD ON!"

Kyle braced himself as he rammed the front of the car into the man. He went flying up the roof, tumbling off the back side of the car. He rolled on the ground, dodging a few more oncoming cars. He turned around and shot towards the car but by then, Kyle was already speeding out.

He swerved violently to the left, narrowly missing another car. Kyle let out a very deep breath of relief as they got their head start. He hoped that they would be able to keep the man off of their tails for a while. But now he had to explain to a panicked Sarah Connor what was happening and why he was here. That was the hard part.


	6. The Terminator

**Chapter 6: The Terminator**

Sarah Connor kept turning around in her seat, checking to see if that thing was still behind them. Her heart was pounding so fast she was afraid it was either going to go out or break her ribs. Once the city faded from her view, she turned to Kyle Reese with wide blue eyes.

"Who… who are you? And how… how does that thing… know me? Why… why is he… I don't understand."

Kyle cursed under his breath before he began to answer Sarah, turning into one of the smaller towns.

"My name is Kyle Reese and what I'm about to say to you is crazy but you will just have to trust me. You will believe me once I'm finished."

Sarah didn't say anything. She just nodded slowly, wiping tears for her eyes and cheeks.

"That guy back there… isn't a man. It's a machine. It traveled back through time to kill you before… well, I'll say this first."

Sarah shouted as he sped through the stoplight.

"Hey, wise guy, that was a red light! That means you have to stop! And green means go. Don't you know the basic traffic laws?"

Kyle's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at her, shaking his head slowly.

"No. Am I supposed to?"

"Yes!"

Kyle slowed down for the next red light, following Sarah's directions. But the moment the car stopped, Sarah reached for the door handle to jump out of the car. Kyle gripped her arm, pulling her back into the car prompting Sarah to lean over and bite his wrist. He gritted his teeth with pain as she bit until she drew blood. He let go quickly, clutching his bleeding wrist and used his other hand to keep her from running.

"I am trying to protect you! Listen… that machine is out there trying to kill you; I am not! Cyborgs don't feel pain. I do. Don't do that again. "

The light turned green and Kyle quickly stepped on the gas pedal, speeding up so that she couldn't jump out, speaking harshly.

"Listen. Understand. That Terminator is out there. It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargained with... it doesn't feel pity of remorse or fear... and it absolutely will not stop. _Ever_ … until you are dead, Sarah."

"T... Terminator?"

"Yes. That thing chasing us is _not_ a man. It's a machine called a Terminator. The Terminator's an infiltration unit; part man, part machine. Underneath, it's a hyper alloy combat chassis microprocessor-controlled, and fully armored. Very tough… but outside, its living tissue. Skin, hair, blood… grown for the cyborgs."

Sarah shook her head slowly in confusion as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"Look… I don't…"

"The 600 series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy, but these are new. They look human... sweat, bad breath, everything. Very hard to spot. I had to wait till he moved on you before I could zero him."

Sarah turned to face him with raised eyebrows.

"Look… I am not stupid, you know. They cannot make things like that yet."

"Not yet. Not for about 40 years."

Sarah drew back with shock.

"Are you saying it's from the future?"

"One possible future."

Sarah gripped the door handle as he took a sharp left turn, talking as if the jerky movement didn't bother him.

"From your point of view… I don't know tech stuff."

"Then… you're from the future too. Is that right?"

"Right."

Sarah nodded slowly, replying dryly.

"Right."

Kyle glanced sideways at her before he noticed Sarah pointing towards a road and took it, speeding up to the highway very quickly.

"That Terminator was sent back in time to kill you. And I was sent to protect you. Where I come from, these Terminators rule the world. Most of the people on earth are dead. The rest are either rounded up into work camps or are left to fend for themselves in groups and most of the time, alone. There was no hope or light left in the world. Just an endless battle of human versus machine with the machine's brain, called Skynet, winning."

"Why do they want to kill me!?"

"In 2029, when you are 64 years old, you led an attack on Skynet and that attack was enough to push them back for a couple of months. You gave us the chance to gather forces and fight back against them."

Sarah just stared at Kyle with wide eyes and an open mouth.

"I'm supposed to believe that!?"

"Yes!"

Sarah self-consciously leaned closer to the car door. Kyle reached over and pulled Sarah away from it.

"Don't even think about it."

Sarah slapped replied by slapping him in the face. The car swerved off of the road and onto the median. They were quickly spiraling towards the other side of the road. Sarah screamed, regretting the decision she had made. Kyle grimaced and forced the wheel around. They almost crashed into the car next to them but Kyle was able to narrowly escape it.

"Listen, Sarah, I know this a lot to take in but you have to believe me. I am a soldier of the Human Resistance, sent back in time from the future to protect you from that Terminator. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't help do the Terminator's job for it."


	7. Heavy Pursuit

**Chapter 7: Heavy Pursuit**

Sarah drew in a deep breath and spoke softly.

"Who are you really?"

Kyle glanced at her with confusion for a few seconds before he turned back to the road.

"I told you already. I'm Kyle Reese, a soldier of the Human Resistance in the year 2031. I'm 26 years old and I traveled back in time. I know it's confusing but you just have to try and believe it… at least for a little while."

Sarah leaned over, pulling her seat belt with her. She placed her elbows on her knees and held her head, feeling her blonde hair form a curtain around her face.

"This is… too crazy."

Sarah sat in the silent for a few minutes before she heard Kyle draw in a deep breath. She turned to look at him, half expecting him to tell her more about the future she couldn't comprehend.

"What?"

Kyle didn't respond immediately. He nervously licked his lips and turned around to look out the rear window.

"It can't be…"

Kyle suddenly reached over and pulled Sarah back in her seat, tightening her seat belt.

"Hold on."

"What? Did it find us?"

"Yes."

Sarah's body instantly tensed up as Kyle began to ease the car faster. Sarah turned quickly in her seat to see a pick-up truck weaving through the traffic faster than all the other cars on the road.

"Sarah… I need you to take the wheel."

"What?"

"Just please take the wheel!"

Sarah shook her head as Kyle unbuckled her seat belt.

"I'm not taking the…"

She let out a small yelp as Kyle thrust himself into the back seat, leaving the wheel unattended. Sarah didn't know how it was possible to switch seats that fast but she managed to do so without crashing. She placed her foot on the gas pedal and swerved to avoid drifting.

"Reese! Please come back and drive!"

Kyle replied from the back seat.

"That depends… what are you doing!?"

He leaned forwards and gripped her shoulder.

"Don't ever take your foot off of the gas pedal!"

"But speeding is against the law!"

"Would you rather be brutally murdered by a machine?"

Sarah let out a frustrated sigh as she pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, praying that no one would be stupid and pull out in front of her. She knew that driving was sloppy. She was always known to over-correct herself so she wasn't surprised when she began to do it in the midst of the car chase. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel with all her might. She heard Kyle direct her from the back.

"Don't move the wheel so much! No, no! Push down on the brake! Not that much! Oof!"

Kyle had been working on something in the back before he lost it to Sarah's messy driving. Her driving had flung his project up to the passenger's seat where it slid down to the floor. Kyle flung himself in between the seats, holding a rifle, and leaned over and under the passenger's seat.

"What are you doing, Reese!?"

"JUST DRIVE!"

Kyle grabbed the box of ammo seconds before they were about to be rear-ended by the truck. In a panic, Sarah put her seat belt on but Kyle did not have the time to do so. The truck slammed into the back of their car, pushing them forward. Sarah grimaced as Kyle's head smashed against the dashboard. He let out a small cry of pain as he clutched his bleeding forehead. He then reached over Sarah and tried to help her stabilize the car but they both stopped momentarily once they heard the thud on the roof of their car.

"What was that?"

Kyle slowly drew his hand off of Sarah.

"Hold on, don't do anything. Just keep driving straight."

Sarah continued to speed along the highway, looking around worriedly to see what was going on. Seconds later a gloved hand crashed through the windshield and grabbed the steering wheel.

"No, no, Sarah! Press the brake!"

"I am!"

"No, you're not!"

The hand turned the wheel and the car began to spiral out of control, towards the opposite side of the highway. Sarah and Kyle screamed together as they vaulted onto the other side. Kyle reached forwards to pull the hand off of the steering wheel because Sarah was too frightened to move.

"We have to get its hand off the wheel!"

Sarah shook her head quickly; her eyes wide with terror but Kyle told her what to do before she could ask.

"Grab the gun right in front of me!"

"What!?"

"Just do it!"

Sweat beaded down Kyle's forehead as he watched the cars on the other side of the highway, try to swerve out of the way. One crashed into the back of their car, causing them to go into another spin. Sarah leaned under Kyle's arms and grabbed the gun, handing it to him quickly. Kyle let go of the wheel quickly and cocked the gun. He drew in a deep breath and grimaced before firing at the roof of the car. The sound echoed throughout the car, deafening the two of them for a few minutes. He cocked the gun and fired again and again.

Sarah's hands were clasped on the steering wheel, trying to fight against the machine's hand. Kyle gasped as another hand crashed through the roof, crushing the muzzle of Kyle's gun in its metal grip. Then the machine reached out and gripped Kyle's throat, slamming his head back into the door frame. Sarah gasped as she turned to Kyle, exasperated.

"What do I do!?"

Kyle gasped for air, feeling his face flush red as he used all the air he had.

"I'm a… little… busy…"

Kyle's hands were grasping to pry the machine's hand off of his neck, clawing at his chance for survival. He could feel it closing with every second, knowing he didn't have much longer until it would snap his neck. Sarah gripped the steering wheel and forced it to the left, careening off the highway, knowing where she would go. She tried to keep control of the car as the machine kept turning the wheel in the opposite direction. They swerved from side to side so much so that they missed the turn.

Sarah clamped her jaw shut and yanked the wheel with all her might, bursting through the vegetation and sped towards the entrance of the police station. The machine quickly let go of the wheel and Kyle's throat and Sarah instantly slammed on the brake as hard as she possibly could. The car jerked forwards and back, whipping her head back against the seat. She struggled but managed to pull the car into reverse and then back into the forwards position so that she could slam the machine's body into the glass doors of the police station.

The machine fell back against the ground and didn't move for several seconds. Kyle leaned forwards and laughed hoarsely.

"Nice work!"

Sarah made a move as if to hand his gun back to him but instead she slammed the butt of the gun into his head, apologizing as he fell back against the seat, unconscious. Sarah fumbled with the handle for the door and drew in a deep breath as she ran to the police station.


	8. The Interrogation

**Chapter 8: The Interrogation**

Three police officers rushed out of the station to look at what had happened. Sarah pushed past them quickly and ran to the desk, gasping for breath.

"Please, you have to help me. My name is Sarah Connor. There… there is this guy trying to kill me and then there is this… this other guy in the car that he stole…"

"Did you say your name was Sarah Connor?"

"Yes. That's my name."

"The man in my car, he said he was protecting me but… I don't know. He talks as if he knows me and we've never met before! He… he knew who I was and… and…"

"Ma'am, calm down please. You're safe here. Let me call the lieutenant."

Sarah nodded quickly, folding her arms tight across her chest as she stood, waiting for the lieutenant to arrive.

"Yes, sir, I've got a Sarah Connor here. She appears to be in shock. She said that a man is trying to kill her. Yes, right away, sir."

A few minutes later, a man with dark burgundy skin, gray hair, round glasses, and a gray suit stopped a few feet away from her.

"Sarah Connor?"

"Yes."

"My name is Lieutenant Traxler. Can you please come with me?"

Sarah nodded and followed him and another officer down the hallway to his office, where he gestured for her to sit down. She drew in a few shaky breaths as she watched him sit down in his own chair.

"Are you aware that two other women with the name Sarah Connor were killed yesterday in Los Angeles?"

Sarah's blue eyes widened with shock.

"What? No, I… I had no idea."

"Do you know who was trying to kill you?"

"No, I… I mean yes, but… I don't know."

"Pause for a moment and draw in a few deep breaths, okay."

Sarah nodded slowly, trying to control her racing heart. She licked her lips nervously, glancing between the lieutenant and detective in the room before she spoke.

"The man in the car… he was the one who rescued me. The thing that I hit with the car is the person who is trying to kill me."

"The thing?"

Sarah nodded slowly.

"Yes, Kyle shot him several times and he kept moving as if the bullets didn't affect him. It's… not human."

The lieutenant nodded slowly despite his apparent disbelief but he calmly worked through it.

"Who is Kyle?"

"The unconscious man in the car. He… he kept going on about the future and a war and how I help them stop it! You have to help me, I… I don't know what to do."

"Ms. Connor, we will do everything in our power to help you. Would you be okay if we detain the man who is trying to kill you and question the man in the car?"

Sarah nodded numbly, feeling weak enough to pass out. Lieutenant Traxler rose to his feet and motioned to a police officer at the door to help her. Sarah was taken off to the side where she tried to help her calm down and stop her hands from trembling. After what seemed like forever, the lieutenant came back into his office and asked her to come with him. They walked down to the interrogation room, watching from behind the glass.

Kyle sat in a chair in the room with nothing but the table he was handcuffed to and the detective and doctor interrogating him.

"So… you must be Kyle?"

Kyle glanced up at the detective, his eyes filled with anger.

"Where did you put that thing!?"

"What thing?"

"That machine; what did you do with it!?"

The detective sat down in the chair across from Kyle.

"We put the other man in solitary confinement for now."

Kyle's green eyes widened as he pulled to get out of the handcuffs.

"No, that won't do it! It'll escape. It'll come back. It will come for her."

"For who?"

"For Sarah Connor! It's a machines sent from the future to kill her!"

"Really?"

Kyle glared up at the detective.

"Yes."

"Who sent the machine back?"

"It's not a person, it's… a computer called… Skynet."

"Why does this Skynet thing want to kill Sarah Connor?"

"Because she led an attack against Skynet that almost stopped it."

"And that made the computer mad?"

"Yes! I… I was a member of her squad. I saw her stop it. She fought harder than any soldier had before. She gave us hope!"

"Where did you get this picture of her?"

Sarah noticed the detective pick up an old, burned photograph with her face on it. She drew in a small gasp, not knowing that he had that. Kyle licked his lips nervously.

"I got it from my commander. He had pulled it from her personal items a week after she died. He said that I could use it to help find her."

The detective shifted in his seat and the tone of his voice showed that he doubted everything Kyle was saying but he went along with it anyways.

"So when did this war start?"

"It started in 1997."

"And what year did you come from?"

"2031."

The detective turned back towards the window and shook his head slowly. He drew in a deep, annoyed breath and turned back to face Kyle,

"When were you born, Reese?"

"2001."

"So… you don't exist yet?"

"No."

Before the detective could ask his next question, Kyle leaned forwards.

"Where is she? She needs to run. She needs to get away as fast as she can."

"She's right where she needs to be."

"No, she needs to get as far from that machine as possible! It won't stop hunting her until she is dead! Nothing can stop it!"

Sarah watched as he twisted his wrists, moving his fingers in way that would free him from the handcuffs but it appeared to be tight. His wrists were turning red with marks.

"Can… can I talk to him?"

Detective Traxler nodded slowly, learning forward to turn the microphone on. Sarah sat down in the chair in front of the microphone, staring straight at Kyle, knowing he couldn't see her.

"Why should I believe you, Kyle?"

Kyle's eyes instantly lifted up to the glass, searching for her as best as he could.

"You don't have to believe it, Sarah. You just… you have to run. That machine is going to wake up any second and it is going to come for you."

"I'm no warrior, Kyle. How could I live a life of running and hiding?"

Kyle shook his head slowly, pleading with her from the other side.

"War changes people, Sarah. Those machines tortured you in the future thinking that they could beat you but it only made you stronger. That's how you became one of the founders of the Human Resistance. You gave us all hope when there was none."

"And if I don't believe you what will happen?"

"You may not believe me now but someday, you will. You'll see, Sarah, you'll see."


	9. Escape from the Police Station

**Chapter 9: Escape from the Police Station**

The detective leaned forwards, continuing to question Kyle.

"Why is Sarah so special to these machines?"

"Because no one knew her! No one knew what she was like before the war or where she came from because her family was dead by then."

"How did they figure out to find her here?"

Sarah watched with surprise as Kyle's expression hardened. His jaw clenched as he spoke with a quiet anger.

"There are some… humans… who sided with the machines to save their own skin. And my partner, my _friend_ , turned out to be one of them. He was Sarah's second; everyone trusted him. He learned more things about Sarah than most of us knew. And the machines used that information to track her here… to kill her before she could think of stopping them."

He closed his eyes and began to speak with less animosity.

"She needed someone to come back and tell her what was going to happen so she could prepare."

"And that's where you come in?"

"Yes. Sarah, she… she made us believe that we had a chance. She got us to stop hiding and stand up to them; to fight, no matter what would happen."

Sarah turned to look back at the lieutenant.

"Is he… is he telling the truth?"

Lieutenant Traxler shook his head slowly with disbelief.

"He seems very convinced to his story. I can't see any signs of lying on his face. But he may not be all right in the head. He's probably going to need doctors."

"You're going to take him and put him where? In a mental asylum?"

Sarah watched Lieutenant Traxler's face for any sign leading to his perspective and her heart sank as she looked back at Kyle. Who's to say he wasn't delusional? As the detective questioning him walked into the room she was in, she sat there numbly staring at Kyle, wondering what she could do. If he had been right about the work camps then putting him in some sort of asylum would be torture. She could see that he tried to resist the fact that he had been caught, searching for every possible outlet he could. Sarah closed her eyes and let out a small, shaky breath, hoping that she was doing the right thing. If not, she would have a lot to explain to her mother.

An officer stepped into the room, walking towards the interrogation room and Lieutenant Traxler led Sarah out of the room. She sat back down on the couch, her mind racing with thoughts. After a few moments of silence, she flinched as she heard a gunshot and the power to the station blinked out. Sarah's body tensed up as she heard more gunshots and officers shouting. She began to shake her head slowly, knowing that the machine had to be up again.

She instantly locked the door and then hid behind the lieutenant's desk, knowing that was her best and worst shot at getting out of this alive. Even though she doubted she would make it out alive. As more gunshots went off, she closed her eyes, trying to think of what to do now. Any second the machine could draw closer and kill her and Kyle was locked away. She carefully peeked her head around the desk to see a figure in the window of the door and leapt back into cover with a gasp.

She heard the door handle rattle and tried to keep herself from sobbing aloud as her heart beat with fear. A single tear ran down her left cheek as she struggled to remain silent. She flinched again as the glass shattered and unlocked it from inside, quickly stepping into the room. She heard the footsteps walk quickly across the room before the person opened the door to the left of her and shouted.

"SARAH!"

Sarah was filled with temporary relief once she heard the sound and scrambled out from under the desk.

"Reese?"

She ran into Kyle and he gripped her wrists, seeing if she was okay before he pushed her in front of him and out of the door. She moved to run left but he dragged her to the right.

"This way."

Sarah followed close behind Kyle as they ran through the hallways, ducking as much as they could, hearing officers shouting and gunshots ringing throughout the station. They ran past a fire in the hallway and on top of broken glass as they searched for an exit. Kyle stumbled for a moment but immediately got back up and kept running, continuing to pull Sarah behind him. They stopped for a moment as Kyle looked down the right and left sides of the hallway, noticing a pistol near a fallen officer.

Kyle grabbed the pistol and searched the hallway again before they ran through it. He moved as if to go one way but then turned a sharp corner, causing Sarah to lose her footing, falling down against the wall. She gasped in pain as a glass shard but her palm and Kyle instantly helped her up. They turned to see officers ahead of them and watched as the Terminator fought them one by one. They fired their guns but nothing worked against it.

Sarah's blue eyes were wide as she stared at the machine with fear, looking over all of the dead bodies. Her heart stopped when the machine turned to face Kyle and Sarah. She gasped and instantly turned to run the opposite way with Kyle right on her heels. They could hear more cries and shots ring throughout the police station giving them the motivation to continue forwards.

They ran back towards the entrance to see shattered glass doors and windows, bloody officers, and the car that Sarah had drove through the building. Kyle tried to keep Sarah from looking down at the dead officer but accidentally pushed her too hard and she stumbled over him instead. Sarah landed hard on her bottom on the floor, gasping. She placed her hand on the floor to help her up and instantly froze.

She instantly lifted her hand up, staring at the bright red blood dripping from it. Her eyes met the eyes of the dead officer and she screamed on instinct, backing away. Kyle wrapped his arms under her's and pulled her up to her feet, stopping her from looking back at the man. They sprinted toward a black car, across the parking lot. A man exited the vehicle just as they showed up and Kyle drew out his pistol, pointing it at the man. The man dropped the folder he was holding and put his hands up.

"Give me your keys!"

Sarah stood directly behind Kyle, noticing a name tag on the man's shirt that read Dr. Silberman. But she didn't give much thought to it because the man had already handed Kyle his keys. Kyle turned around and gripped Sarah's arm, pushing her into the passenger's seat. He got in the car and started it, looking quickly at Sarah.

"Are you okay?"

Sarah nodded numbly as she stared down at her bloody hand. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of her hand being covered in someone else's blood and couldn't imagine seeing so much of it in the future Kyle had lived in. Kyle pulled out of the station and sped away, glancing at Sarah whenever he could.

"Hey, its okay, Sarah."

"That man… that Terminator killed him."

Kyle drew in a deep breath to speak but decided not to. Tears filled Sarah's eyes as she rested her head back against the seat.

"I believe you, Kyle. I wish I didn't… but I believe you."

She gasped as her throat constricted and couldn't hold back a small moan as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Why is this happening to me?"

She was expecting a response but Kyle only put his hand on her shoulder for a few moments before pulling away.


	10. Let's Stop It Now

**Chapter 10: Let's Stop It Now**

Kyle Reese opened his eyes with a small gasp. He was leaning back against his chair, trying to remember what he had been doing. Then he remembered they had pulled off and parked so they could sleep for a few hours. They were safe for now. His heart pounded against his chest from the recurring nightmares that were his life. Kyle glanced in the back seat to see a map lying on the seat. Then, careful not to wake Sarah, he leaned back there and grabbed them, trying to make sense of what was on there but as he tried reading it, he remembered that he didn't really know how to read well.

He tossed the maps to the side, frustrated, and decided to wake Sarah up. He reached out to shake her awake but he stopped, looking over her for a moment. She was sleeping soundly, breathing slowly, with tear stairs on her cheeks and her blonde hair sticking out in some placed from all the action she had experienced recently. She was cradling her injured hand in her sleep and Kyle found himself smiling at her. It was strange to see her so young… so scared. He had never known Sarah to be that way.

He hesitated to wake her up but knew that he had to. So he gently shook her awake, noticing her frightened gasp as she instantly sat up with her blue eyes wide as she tried to register what was in front of her.

"Where are we?"

"I… I'm not sure."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she turned in her seat to try and find a sign to read. Her eyes then noticed the map and grabbed that, looking over the streets. She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated before she glanced at Kyle.

"You don't know how to read, do you?"

"Reading isn't… very important in the future."

Sarah's expression saddened as she looked over the map.

"That's really sad. I love reading books."

After a few moments of tense silence, Sarah turned back to him.

"What do we do now?"

Kyle ran his hand along his chin slowly as he stared in the distance, trying to think of what to do.

"Well, we need money to buy guns and supplies to make pipe bombs."

"And after that?"

"We'll probably just wait until that thing comes around again."

Sarah nodded slowly as she glanced off to the side, gathering her thoughts for a moment before she turned back to him.

"Who created the Terminators?"

"A company named Cyberdyne Systems. Their biggest project was called Skynet and it acts as the Terminator's molecular memory, or brain, linking them all together making them an army."

Sarah nodded slowly as she continued to form a plan in her mind. Kyle opened his door and stepped out and Sarah followed him.

"We need to find a way to get some money."

The two of them began walking away from the car in silence while Kyle searched for somewhere to go. Sarah licked her lips quickly and turned to him.

"So, this company… Cyber…"

"Cyberdyne Systems."

"Yeah, so they develop this revolutionary new thing. This, uh…"

"Molecular memory?"

Sarah nodded quickly, continuing to walk forwards, speaking faster.

"Right, become the hot shot computer guys so they get to develop this thing for the government. Right?"

Kyle returned the nod as he shoved the pistol in his pocket, still looking away from her.

"Right. Yeah, that's the way it was told to me."

Sarah moved so that she was slightly in front of him, walking backwards.

"So why don't we 86 the bastard? They've got to have a building somewhere right? How about instead of waiting we can blow it up and it will never happen!"

Kyle shook his head.

"No, that's tactically dangerous. We lay low."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she stepped forward, stopping him.

"No, Reese. Think it through! We can prevent the war. There's nobody else. If we go to somebody official, we end up in jail again and he's got us again. We've got to do it ourselves."

"It's not my mission."

Sarah drew in a deep breath as she stood up straighter.

"Listen. Understand. I am not a military objective, I'm a person, and you don't own me."

Sarah turned away from Kyle to keep walking forwards but Kyle grabbed her arm.

"Let's go."

Sarah gritted her teeth and pulled away from Kyle.

"Let me go!"

She started sprinting towards a clearing of trees away from the buildings to get away from him again. Kyle called after her.

"Sarah!"

She ran off of the road and into the trees and Kyle ran after her.

"SARAH!"

She dodged around the trees, following a dirt path and slowed down so she could turn, continuing to run. Kyle came through the trees, running to catch up. He jumped down and grabbed her waist, falling onto the ground.

"NO!"

He twisted so that his body slammed into the ground with her rolling off of him. The two wrestled in the grass with Sarah trying to hit him so she could get away but he held tight onto her arms. Sarah rolled on top of him, kicking her legs around to get up.

"Let go!"

"Sarah!"

She rolled to her knees and began to crawl forwards but not before Kyle caught her wrists again, pulling her back towards him. She grunted with effort, turned and punched him in the face. Kyle ducked away for a moment while Sarah gained her balance. Kyle instantly pulled out a gun and pointed it at Sarah. She began gasping in fear, staring at him with wide eyes.

"That's right, go ahead! Point, shoot! That's smart."

Kyle closed his eyes and lowered the gun as he drew in a deep breath. Sarah shook her head slowly as she continued to gasp with her legs spread out in front of her.

"Reese, don't you see that I am scared!?"

Kyle shifted so that he was pointed away from her, sitting down in the grass while Sarah stared directly at him.

"I don't want to spend my whole life waiting for that thing to catch up to me! Always looking over my shoulder, wondering if I left some tiny clue behind."

She watched him, waiting for him to turn to her, but he continued staring ahead in a trance. Her voice softened as he pleaded.

"Reese!"

She weakly sat up straight, trying to control her gasps, throwing her hand around uselessly.

"Reese."

Kyle spoke softly as his eyes looked over everything around him.

"I don't belong here. I wasn't meant to see this."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she watched him closely.

"It's like a dream."

He pointed out to the flowing stream and rocks with tears blurring his pale green eyes.

"This."

He reached forward, grabbing a small white flower.

"And this. And you. It's so beautiful."

Sarah's heart softened as she watched a tear roll down his cheek. He quickly rose a hand up to his face, covering it.

"It hurts, Sarah. It hurts so bad. You can't understand. It's gone."

Sarah looked away from Kyle at the flowers, dirt, grass, trees, and river and her heart sank as he continued speaking.

"All gone. All of it… it's gone."

"Well, we can change it, Kyle. We have to at least try. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves, right?"

Kyle nodded slowly, looking back at Sarah. She brushed the dirt off of her hands and bit her lip.

"I'm… I'm sorry for socking you."

"It's okay. It's not the first time I've been punched by a woman."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed as she stifled a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kyle slowly rose to his feet and stretched out his hand, helping Sarah up. He smiled softly at her.

"It means that I wasn't always good at following the rules."

Sarah giggled softly as she folded her arms in front of her, walking next to Kyle as they headed back to the car.

"So… I guess we're not going to Cyberdyne then, right?"

"No."

"Okay."


	11. A Decent Meal

**Chapter 11: A Decent Meal**

Sarah sat in their stolen car outside of a gun shop, waiting for Kyle to return. She nervously glanced around every few seconds to see if anyone was following them. She slowly rocked herself back and forth, trying to convince herself that everything was going to be alright. After everything that had happened the past two days, it was hard to believe. She had almost lost all sense of time and only recognized time once they were preparing for another attack.

Sarah's blue eyes flicked up as the door opened and Kyle came jogging out with a brown duffel bag. He quickly jumped into the passenger's seat.

"Let's get out of here."

"What did you do?"

"I got what we needed."

Sarah didn't argue with Kyle and pulled out of the shop, noticing that he was uncomfortable about what had happened in there. She glanced at the bag and spoke slowly.

"Did you get it all?"

"Most of it."

Sarah noticed that his right hand was near his pistol as if he were waiting for something to attack them by surprise. She licked her lips nervously before she spoke again.

"Did you have to threaten him?"

"Yes."

Sarah let out a silent sigh and decided not to continue with the conversation. Kyle opened the bag slowly, rummaging through the contents.

"I made it sound like I wanted to buy the guns but when the time came; he realized that I didn't have the money to pay for it. So I had to rob him."

"Do you know what guns they are?"

Kyle nodded as he moved them around to show Sarah a glimpse of them.

"A Smith & Wesson Model 15 handgun, a Ruger Security Six pistol, and an Ithaca 37 shotgun with ammo for all of them. It's a good start though. And some of his money."

"Good, because we will need to get gas soon."

"Okay, we're also going to need some medical supplies and some food just in case."

Sarah nodded slowly, her stomach growling at the mention of food.

"It's been a while since I've eaten. Aren't you hungry?"

Kyle zipped up the bag and turned to Sarah, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm used to not having anything to eat. You get what you get and try to work through it."

Sarah shook her head slowly as she tried to imagine what that would feel like. She couldn't imagine not having enough food for the day. Sarah noticed a small grocery store off the side of the road and pulled into the lot, glancing at Kyle expectantly. He grabbed a wad of cash and turned to her.

"I'm going to grab everything we need here. You take the rest of the money and the guns and get gas. I'll wait here for you, okay?"

Sarah nodded.

"I'll put the bag in the trunk."

"Good idea."

"Okay."

Kyle closed his door and walked quickly into the store while Sarah stepped out and shoved the duffel bag in the trunk of the car. She didn't want to have to explain what it was if someone asked. Sarah then drove a little way down the road to the nearest gas station and walked inside the store to pay before she got the gas. They had done enough stealing for the day and she had felt uncomfortable the whole time. They were practically fugitives by now. She smiled at the cashier and handed her the money and then walked out and began to pump the gas.

She heard a truck rumble behind her and she glanced over her shoulder, afraid it was the machine. She was relieved to find that it was a small family. Two boys jumped out of the car with their mother and giddily ran into the store, dragging their mother with them as they begged for some kind of candy. Sarah smiled as they stepped inside the store and watched the father wait until his wife had paid for the gas that he began to pump it.

Sarah's wind wandered as she tried to think of having a young family herself. She thought about she had never been patient with children and wondered if that would change if or when she would have her own. She felt the tank fill and withdrew the nozzle, stepping back into the car. She drew in a deep breath as she started the engine and drove back to the grocery store to wait for Kyle. She sat in the parking lot, placing a hand on her growling stomach and wondered why she hadn't thought to get something at the gas station.

Kyle walked out a few minutes later with four bags and he motioned for them to switch places. So while he took the groceries to the back, Sarah moved over to the passenger's seat. Kyle sat down at the driver's seat and drove away as Sarah reached in the back to see what he had gotten for them to eat. She pulled out an apple and grinned.

"Yes, apples!"

Kyle glanced at her with a smile.

"I remember you saying that you liked the red ones."

"Well, at least I know some things don't change in the future."

She bit into the apple and chewed it slowly, savoring every bite. She then grabbed another one and handed it to Kyle.

"Try it. Trust me, you'll like it."

Kyle hesitated but eventually bit into it slowly. Sarah leaned forward, eager to find his reaction and smiled when he did.

"I can see why you would miss them. They're so…"

"Juicy, sweet, and crisp."

"Yeah. They're really good. I can see why you would miss them."

Sarah drew in a slow breath as she leaned to the back to rummage for the other foods that he had grabbed.

"You don't have any of this in the future, do you?"

Kyle turned to look at her but looked away quickly once he realized most of her was in the back of the car.

"No. Finding a coyote or even a rat… meant a lot."

Sarah forced herself from gagging as she crawled back into her seat.

"Well, there is one food we absolutely have to try then… hamburgers and fries. That's my favorite meal."

"And where would we find these… hamburgers and fries?"

"We would have to go to restaurant. Keep driving and I'll look for a McDonald's."

"McDonald's?"

Sarah giggled softly as she tried to read the signs they were passing.

"Yeah, just trust me on this one. You'll probably taste more in that meal than anything else you've ever eaten."

"How often do you eat these hamburgers and fries?"

"Me? Too much."

"Really?"

Sarah nodded.

"For sure. My mom had to limit the amount of money she was giving me to help me through the first semester of college because I would get them too often."

Sarah noticed Kyle's eyebrows furrow and she realized that he probably didn't understand most of what she was saying. She noticed the logo and pointed.

"Go down that road. We'll stop for a little bit and get food and then we'll have to find a place to stay for the night."

—

Sarah and Kyle quickly unloaded everything from the car once they had secured a room for the night and set everything down on the kitchen counter. Sarah grabbed the McDonald's bags and motioned for Kyle to follow her to the small dinner table. She separated the food, placing it in front of him.

"I'm not sure what you'll think of it but it's worth a try."

She watched with a small smile as he unwrapped it slowly, looking over everything before he ate it. Sarah grabbed napkins from the bag and grabbed her fries, watching Kyle as she ate her food. He cautiously took a bite and she tried to stop herself from giggling as she watched his expression. At first he seemed slightly repulsed but his eyes widened slowly and nodded slowly.

"It's different but…"

"Really good?"

Kyle nodded again with a smile.

"Yes!"

Sarah watched as he devoured the food.

"I can't bear to think of most of the world starving. It's… sad."

"Well, the humans that work with Skynet are well fed but… they hardly seem like humans. They're traitors to their own kind."

"They just want to live."

Kyle glanced up at Sarah, his eyes colder than usual.

"Everyone does. The problem is that they think that because they work with Skynet… that they won't die. But sooner or later… Skynet will get rid of them all. It… it doesn't need humans."

Sarah shook her head slowly as she bit into her burger, savoring the flavor.

"If Skynet doesn't need humans… why is it so against us?"

"I wish I knew. I'm just a soldier who… does what he is told. We don't really… know why it wants to kill us all."

Sarah's mouth curved into a frown before she took another bite of her burger, watching Kyle wipe his mouth with a napkin.

"You're already finished? I should have gotten more."

"It's alright, Sarah. That's the most I've eaten at once in years."

He smiled at Sarah and she returned it.

"So… what do we do now?"

"After you finish that, you are going to go sleep while I keep watch."

"Okay, but only if you get me up in a few hours so you can sleep; you need it too. Right?"

"Right."

Sarah let out a small sigh as she sat back in her chair, looking over Kyle quickly.

"Did you like it?"

"The food? Yes."

"Good."

Sarah slowly rose to her feet, adjusting her filthy shirt.

"I'll see you in a few hours then?"

"Yes."

"Okay… good night."

"Good night, Sarah."

Kyle smiled as she turned her back to him, grabbing one of the pistols as she walked into the bedroom. Then he rose to his feet and started working.


	12. Major General Justin Perry

**Chapter 12: Major General Justin Perry**

Kyle Reese's dreams were never dreams; they were memories. He had lost the ability to dream once he had realized how cruel the world was. Kyle had intended to let Sarah sleep the entire night but she had set the alarm clock before she had fallen asleep and caught him drifting into sleep. Then she had ordered him to go sleep and that she would wake him if anything happened. Kyle had hesitated to agree to her but she had insisted so he followed her orders, desperately needing the rest. He was too tired to register that he was going to sleep on something soft, cushy, and warm instead of the cold, hard ground. He had fallen asleep almost instantly, carried into his memories.

He was in his late teens at the time being escorted by a large Terminator to the bleak detention room. The walls were covered with dirt, grime, and the occasional blood stain. The hallway was lit so dim that Kyle could hardly see where he was going. He shuffled forwards, weak and in pain as the Terminator opened the large metal door with a loud creak. The machine then pushed Kyle into the room, keeping its bright red eyes on him before it slammed the door shut, locking him inside. Kyle let out a small sigh, expecting to be alone but he was surprised to hear a low, rugged voice.

"You too?"

Kyle turned sharply towards the voice, afraid he was hallucinating but as his eyes adjusted to the dark room, he eventually saw a figure. He saw a physically strong man with dark skin and dark purple bags under his light eyes. He looked exhausted both physically and mentally. The man had a nasty cut on his cheek that had bled and dried, sticking to his skin. He wore all black as if he had been captured recently whereas Kyle had been there for… he didn't know how long he had been there.

Kyle slowly inched towards the man.

"Who are you?"

"Major General Justin Perry; Human Resistance."

"Are you really one of them?"

Perry nodded slowly, licking his parched, cracked lips.

"Yes, sir."

Kyle shook his head slowly as he sat down a few feet away from the man.

"Why… why are you here?"

"Because I got caught, kid."

Kyle noticed that Perry's light brown eyes skirted around the room constantly, analyzing everything around him even though he couldn't do anything about his situation. Perry's small smile faded into a slight grimace as he folded his arms across his chest.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Kyle Reese."

"When did you get here, Reese?"

Kyle drew in a quick breath and licked his lips as he drew his legs close to his chest.

"I… I'm not really sure. I think it was a couple years ago when the machines dragged me here but I'm not sure how long. They don't really like us knowing anything but the fact that Skynet is superior and that the machines can make us do anything they want to."

Perry stared straight into Kyle's eyes with a ferocity that made him uncomfortable. Kyle's eyes skirted away from Perry and to the ground.

"I was separated from my brothers."

Kyle's eyes flicked back up to Perry's and could tell that the soldier wanted more information so he continued to speak.

"My older brother, Derek, he was the best soldier out of all of us. He was eight years older than me and my little brother, Tim, was three years younger than me. After our parents died, it was just the three of us for a long time. When the machines… found us… Derek and Tim were both killed. But the machines, they uh… they decided not to kill me and sent me here. And I've been here ever since."

Perry nodded slowly as his eyes locked on the torn shoes on his feet.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

Kyle opened his mouth to answer but hesitated.

"Because you got caught?"

Perry shook his head slowly.

"Because I'm a commanding officer in the Resistance and I've got information they want. But I won't tell them a damn thing."

"But they'll make you."

"They don't have to make you do anything, Reese. You are the one who decides what you're going to tell them."

Perry leaned a little closer to Kyle, choosing his words carefully.

"They're going to kill me because I won't tell them anything but they won't kill you… not yet."

"What makes you so sure about that?"

"My guess is that you've been here more than five years. I haven't seen a lot of kids in here so you've got to special to them somehow."

Kyle shook his head as his eyebrows furrowed.

"No, I… I'm no one special."

"I think you are. You've been here, alive, longer than anyone else I know."

Perry leaned even closer, speaking barely above a whisper, hiding behind Kyle so the camera in the left corner couldn't pick up what he was saying.

"We've finally got a lead. Stay alive a few more days and you'll make it out of here."

Kyle's eyes widened as he looked at the serious expression on the soldier's face.

"Really?"

"Really. But I'm gonna warn you…. It's not going to be pretty. A lot of people are going to die and the machines don't want to lose their leverage. You gotta keep fighting whatever comes your way. These machines have stolen enough of your life as it is."

Perry stopped speaking and drew away slowly, smiling lopsidedly at Kyle.

"Resist, disobey, and refuse to do anything for them. They will hurt you but trust me, freedom will be worth it."

Kyle flinched as the heavy metal door creaked open and a Terminator stepped through.

"Justin Perry."

As the machine walked closer, Kyle instinctively cowered, watching the machine closely, afraid it was going to hurt him. He glanced quickly at Perry to see a large grin on his face as the machine loomed over him.

"You don't like what I said?"

The machine's reply was cold and emotionless.

"Your time is up."

The Terminator walked closer and gripped Perry's wrists, forcing him to his feet. Perry gasped in pain and Kyle noticed that there were bright purple and green bruises right where the machine's hands were.

"Keep fighting, Reese."

The Terminator turned and dragged Major General Justin Perry of the Human Resistance out of the room quickly and the door slammed shut, leaving Kyle alone in the dark cold cell with a sense of hope he had never felt before.


	13. Tell Me Everything

**Chapter 13: Tell Me Everything**

After several more painful memories, Kyle gasped loudly and forced his eyes open. He sat up quickly and ran a hand along his forehead, feeling relieved to have gotten some rest despite the nightmares. He turned and got off of the bed to walk into the kitchen. His eyebrows furrowed as he smelled something strange and new. He walked in to see Sarah with her back turned from him as she took some things out of a bag he didn't remember getting before.

Her blonde hair was darker and Kyle realized that it was wet. She was wearing the same blue jeans and pink tie dye shirt as before and muttering to herself as she finished. Sarah grabbed the pan and turned quickly, yelping once she saw Kyle. She closed her eyes for a second, smiling, as she placed one hand over her heart.

"Sorry, you scared me. I didn't think you would be awake yet."

"I don't sleep very long."

Sarah nodded slowly as she grabbed the bag and pulled it over to the counter.

"I went across the street and got some breakfast."

"You left?"

"Yeah, I uh… we didn't have anything for breakfast so I decided to go and get some. Don't worry; nothing happened. I had the gun and everything just in case."

Kyle recognized that Sarah was expecting to be reprimanded but he decided not to do so and pointed to the bag.

"What is it?"

A smile crept across Sarah's face as she reached her hand into the bag and pulled the contents out.

"Dunkin' Donuts and I know you don't have this in the future. It's like bread but fried and glazed with sugar and then they add whatever toppings you want. I grabbed a regular for you to start with since it may be a shock to you. And then I got two chocolate cake donuts because those are the best and then some maple sugar ones to try."

"It sounds good."

"It is."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, munching on their donuts as they tried to gather their thoughts together. Sarah opened her mouth to take another bite but stopped and looked at Kyle.

"This morning when I went to use the shower, I… I heard you talking in your sleep. You… you said the name 'Perry'. Did you know him?"

Sarah's heart nervously pounded faster as Kyle stopped and hesitated to meet her eyes.

"Not really, I only met him once."

Sarah nodded slowly and took her bite, wanting more information but she didn't want to pressure Kyle into talking about something he didn't seem inclined to share. The silence felt heavy in the air and Sarah wasn't surprised when Kyle continued to speak.

"We were both locked in a detention cell together at one of Skynet's work camps. It was… strange. Skynet doesn't typically put prisoners together but they did that day for some strange reason."

Kyle's pale green eyes were focused on the table in front of him as he spoke softly, almost reverently.

"He was a leader in the Human Resistance and he had been captured on a charge and brought to the camp. He arrived not long after I… got into trouble with the machines."

"What did you do?"

Kyle smiled sadly as he looked into Sarah's eyes.

"I gave my meal to a starving girl in the other cell."

"And you got in trouble for it?"

Kyle nodded slowly as he wiped his hands off on the napkin.

"Skynet didn't want anyone to believe that there was any hope; that humanity was contaminated and needed to be eliminated. Most were forced to work, some were tortured, and some were locked in cells until they eventually died. They were… experimenting on all of us. Testing us to see where our limits were. We'd all been beaten physically or mentally. I had been in the camp for years and didn't have any sense of hope until I met Major General Justin Perry of the Human Resistance."

Sarah watched Kyle closely, trying to remember every word he was saying about the future.

"He told me that I was special; that there was a reason they hadn't killed me yet. He didn't know why and I certainly didn't either but… it gave me a sense of hope that I had lost when my…"

Sarah reached forwards and placed her hand on top of Kyle's.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Kyle smiled softly at her.

"I was ordered to answer any question you asked. And it's important that you know the future."

"Okay."

"A long time after my parents died, my brothers, Derek and Tim, were killed by the machines in a Resistance base whereas I was taken captive, alive and unharmed. Perry told me that the Human Resistance had a lead and that if I stayed alive for a few more days that I would make it out of the work camp alive. He told me to resist, disobey, and refuse to do anything for them and that my freedom would be worth that price. I believed him. Skynet didn't like that. They took him out of the room and that was the last time I ever saw him."

"Do you think…"

Sarah licked her lips nervously.

"Do you think they killed him?"

"I know they did because three days later when the Human Resistance stormed the work camp and shut down all of the machines, I found his body lying near a furnace, preparing to be burned down to ashes."

Sarah's eyes traveled down to her clasped hands, rubbing her thumbs together in a nervous habit as Kyle continued his story.

"Skynet went crazy that day. It sent out every machine it could. Some of them fought the soldiers while others tried to grab prisoners like me. The machines didn't want to lose their leverage. A lot of people died that day in the camp. But… they did it. They freed every person left alive in that work camp and left the building in pieces."

Kyle fell silent for a few seconds, remembering every little bit of that memory.

"It's not a pretty sight but when you see others fighting for you. But when they are fighting the very things you had been trained to fear for so long and take them out… well, it brings you great hope. And from that day on, I knew I wanted to be a soldier like Perry was. I wanted to fight and liberate people from Skynet's oppression. I wanted to smash those machines and leave nothing but dust."

Sarah glanced back up at Kyle's eyes, seeing the sadness fade from his eyes as it was replaced with hope. Sarah tried to fight the tears welling up in her eyes as she thought of what he had said. She spoke quietly.

"What happened after that?"

"I spent the next few months training under Major General Jai Sanders and going out on missions. A few years later, I joined the 132nd Special Forces Unit of the Resistance. Sanders was the one in charge and he reported directly to you. Our Tech-Com unit was one of the best in the field. We saved a lot of people."

Sarah's breathing began to quicken as she envisioned everything Kyle was explaining to her. It was horrible. She couldn't imagine people living like that. She shook her head slowly as the tears began to come to the surface. She sniffled softly as a tear fell from her left eye and traveled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, looking back at Kyle.

"It's really real… isn't it? You… you're not lying? It… it's real?"

"Yes. It is very real… it's the future."

Sarah placed her elbows on the table, propping her head up on them.

"But I don't want that. I… I don't want to fight unkillable machines in an endless war. What if I make a mistake? What if… what if I die? Then… then I'm held accountable for destroying the human race."

Kyle licked his lips quickly as he leaned towards her.

"You're not the only one we have gone back to save. There are others that are just as important but you… you're the one that started the movement."

"I just don't know if I can do that. I'm… I'm no warrior. A couple of days ago, I had to beg or make a mistake for someone to notice me. I… I don't have anything. I haven't talked to my mother in months and I'm sure I've been fired from my job. Now I'm… a fugitive meaning that college is ruined and I… I won't be able to pay my rent. I can't just drop everything and become a warrior. No one will believe me!"

"That's not true. There will be those who will believe you. You're quite a persuasive person, Sarah."

Sarah opened her mouth as if to interrupt but Kyle beat her to it.

"You will never have much of anything, Sarah, but that's what will drive you to do whatever you have to. I'm here, Sarah, to teach you everything you will need to know so that you won't be a failure. And I'll die trying if I have to."

"I don't want you to die for me."

"I'll try not to but if it comes to it, Sarah, I will. That's one decision I made before I found you and you can't make me change my mind."

Sarah wiped her last tear away quickly.

"Then tell me about the future. Tell me everything."


	14. The Future and Pipe Bombs

**Chapter 14: The Future and Pipe Bombs**

Sarah glanced quickly over her shoulder as she followed Kyle across the street, speaking quietly.

"Why do we keep going into every little store?"

"We're wasting time."

Sarah's eyebrows furrowed as she watched Kyle search for ingredients she didn't think they could find.

"Why?"

"We need to buy ourselves more time to prepare for the machine."

"Won't it find us here?"

Kyle licked his lips quickly as he grabbed a pair of gardening shears.

"It shouldn't."

Sarah folded her arms across her chest as she continued to follow him.

"That's comforting. But… why do I feel like we just keep running away?"

"Maybe because that's exactly what we're doing? It's the best way to fight the machines."

"Is that what you do in the future… run and hide?"

Kyle stopped in his tracks and Sarah instantly realized that statement sounded very rude.

"We run because we have to, Sarah, not because we choose to do so. The future is dark and hot and one day can feel like years. Those who aren't fighting spend their days tending to the wounded or the ones who were taught to fear the machines. They believed that Skynet controlled their destiny and that they were nobody. Freedom didn't exist to them."

Sarah tried to stay as close to Kyle as she could as he continued to talk softly.

"My brother used to tell me about what the cities used to look like and I would try to imagine what it was like when it was alive and not with their dead bodies lying in their homes and in the streets."

Kyle quickly grabbed a case of soda and handed it to Sarah as he continued to collect more items.

"We were taught to believe that there was no escape; no running away. If you made a mistake or attempted to resist, those machines would beat you mercilessly. And if you spoke out too many times, they would kill you. I can't tell you how many times I saw them kill people, Sarah. And I… I can't get it out of my head… their fear and their pain."

"Kyle… what would happen if I turned out to be the wrong 'Sarah Connor'?"

"Impossible. The other ones are already dead."

Sarah moved so that she was stepping right beside him, trying to look into his eyes.

"There are probably plenty more 'Sarah Connors' in the rest of this country."

"But none of them are you. Trust me, Sarah, I know it's you."

Sarah opened her mouth to reply but hesitated as Kyle stopped on an aisle next to another man. She waited patiently for Kyle to grab what he needed before she resumed the conversation.

"Do I look like some sort of mother of the future? I mean; am I tough, organized? I can't even balance my checkbook."

"Then it's a good thing we don't need that from you right now. All we need you to do is just stay alive. You can do that, right?"

Sarah nodded slowly as they walked to the cash register.

"I guess."

"Great. This life… it always starts when you're not ready. But it doesn't matter how you start. What matters is how you continue and one day, Sarah you will learn everything you need to know."

Sarah watched as Kyle paid the cashier and grabbed the case, putting it back into Sarah's arms as he grabbed all of the bags, wishing the cashier a good day. Sarah smiled as they walked outside, loading everything into their car. And fifteen minutes later, they were sitting at the kitchen table, unloading everything they would need to make pipe bombs.

Kyle emptied one of the soda cans and cut it in half with the gardening shears, drying the in and outside of the container. Then he pulled out the ingredients that were supposed to make the explosive part of it.

"Are you sure these are the ingredients?"

"They're not what I usually use but they should work."

"You know, if we blow up this room, we'll probably be sued and arrested."

"And that is why I need you to be extremely careful."

He placed the gardening shears in her hands and shoved the container of soda cans toward her with a smile. Sarah returned the smile and began to cut up another can, following Kyle's instructions very closely. After she had successfully made the first few balls, Kyle let her do it on her own and began to mix the explosives very carefully.

Sarah gritted her teeth every once in a while as the shears or the sharp can cut into her hand but kept moving forwards. She walked back and forth from the sink as she emptied all of the cans. Then using all the strength she had, she bent those cans into little balls, trying to leave just enough space to pour the explosive mixture inside. She set down the shears after completing the last one and let out a small sigh.

"What's next?"

"Well, I am finishing mixing this up."

Kyle glanced at her hands and placed the ingredient down on the table, looking at her bloody hand.

"You cut yourself."

"Yeah…"

He reached over and grabbed her hands, looking over the cuts on her hand as they bled. They weren't bad but there were some that had to be covered.

"Go and wash your hands. I'll get some bandages."

Sarah nodded and slowly walked to the kitchen sink, wincing as she rubbed the soap on her hands. Now that there was something inside of them, the cuts felt deep. She shut off the water, wincing and walked back to the table where Kyle already had the gauze ready. She watched him closely as he bandaged her hand, wrapping it tenderly, and smiled once he finished taping it.

"You know, for a soldier you have a surprisingly gentle touch."

Kyle chuckled apprehensively.

"I had to spend a little time as a nurse. I hated seeing all of their injuries but it did teach me a lot of things."

"I would have never imagined you as a nurse."

"It was only for a little while."

He fell into silence as he carefully mixed the concoction, sticking his tongue out the slightest bit as he worked. Sarah watched him, fascinated, and watched as he began to fill up the shells she had made.

"Reese."

Kyle replied but didn't look up."

"Yeah?"

Sarah stared at the top of his head for a few seconds, pushing her blonde hair behind her shoulders.

"Look at me, Reese."

Kyle set down the shell once he finished, looking up at Sarah.

"Yes?"

"What I was like in the future?"

Kyle paused for a moment as his eyes flicked back to his work and then back up to Sarah.

"People trusted you. You just had this strength about you. You were the kind of person that everyone would die for."

Sarah sat down in a chair, holding her hands together. Kyle went back to working on his project without saying another word. Sarah's heart began to beat faster as several thoughts came into her mind. She desperately wanted to tell Kyle what was on her mind, but she was certain that it would be awkward and she wasn't sure that's what they needed right now. But before she could stop herself, she drew in a deep breath.

"Did you love me, Kyle?"

Kyle dropped the tool he was holding and the oxygen left Sarah's body in an instant. He stared intensely at the table for a moment and licked his lips nervously. Sarah wanted to run away and hide but couldn't bring herself to leave. Her eyes followed him as he spoke softly, still in shock.

"What?"

Sarah squirmed anxiously in her chair.

"Did you love me like… like I was a part of your family?"

Kyle opened his mouth slowly.

"Well, yes… but you were so many years older than me. I… I looked up to you like you were my big older sister."

Sarah nodded slowly as she began to understand his side of the story.

"And now we're around the same age."

Kyle's eyes skirted away from Sarah but she followed him as he spoke.

"Yeah."

Sarah could tell that Kyle was extremely uncomfortable with the discussion. She wanted to push him but he was staring at his project intensely as if it was the most important thing in the century. She stopped talking and gritted her teeth, waiting for him to respond. She had seen the way his eyes seemed to light up when he smiled at her and was curious to see if he felt something for her. Kyle glanced up at her.

"I think we should talk about this tomorrow. You look really tired."

Sarah replied softly.

"Okay."

Sarah's disappointment faded as she walked towards the bedroom, closing the door behind her, letting out a deep breath. Kyle let out a small sigh and rubbed his forehead before he turned back to finishing the pipe bombs.


	15. Different

**Chapter 15: Different**

Kyle had tried to get to sleep that night but he had lain on the couch awake with just the silence and his thoughts keeping him up. He had thought over everything Sarah had taught him in the future and saw just how much she had to have changed over the war. It was strange to be back with her at a different time. She was so different now from the woman he had known then. He wasn't sure any other 19 year old girl in 1984 would be as brave as Sarah already was.

Kyle shifted so that he was lying in his side, staring across the room at the blank grey wall. He sighed and tried to imagine a life without the war. If he got rid of the Terminator, Sarah would be free, and he would be stuck in a world he wasn't used to. He wasn't sure what he would do with his life now that he had the chance to have one. He wondered what it would be like without wars with machines and Resistance members that fought against them not matter how starving they were.

Kyle felt sick to his stomach, feeling like he was cheating. The people he knew were stuck in that war-ridden timeline, scraping to stay alive in mechanical hell. Meanwhile he was traveling in a different world with a younger version of the woman he had known; a more innocent, kind, and… beautiful version. He had had a hard time admitting it when Sarah had asked but his restlessness had given him a lot of time to think about it.

As he tried to think of what her future would be after they destroyed the machine, he realized that he was jealous of whoever would love her after all this. There had always been something about Sarah that had drawn him close to her but he could never understand why. It seemed wrong… but at the same time, it felt like they were meant for each other.

Kyle sat up, rubbing his forehead, and sighed. Sleep was pointless now. He wasn't going to get it. He rose to his feet and walked back towards the bedroom to wake Sarah up. He walked in softly, pulling the curtains open, only to find that she was still sleeping soundly. So he walked to the side of the bed, kneeling down next to her. He reached his hand out to shake her awake but stopped midair and drew his hand back.

He gazed down at Sarah and how peaceful she looked. Her hair was spread around the pillow like tiny strands of gold that glinted with the morning sunlight. Kyle smiled softly and felt a warm feeling spread throughout his body. He gently shook her shoulder and gasped in shock as Sarah's blue eyes flew open, grasping Kyle's hand tight.

"Sarah, it's okay. It's me."

Sarah let out a deep breath and placed a hand over her heart for a moment, closing her lovely blue eyes. She released Kyle's hand and rubbed her face to wake herself up.

"Come on, get up."

Sarah nodded numbly and sat up, pulling the blankets off of her. She stepped off the bed and walked past Kyle to the bathroom without a word. He walked back to the kitchen and began packing up their stuff carefully. He shoved all of their stuff into the duffel bag and waited for Sarah to come out.

"Ready?"

Sarah yawned and nodded slowly.

"I guess."

Kyle grabbed the keys to their car as well as their room key and walked towards the door, holding it open for Sarah. Her hair was a little fuzzy and un-brushed but Kyle noticed that she was starting not to care anymore. She walked to the car, taking his car keys, while he handed their room key in, thanking the owner. She started the car and climbed over to the passenger's seat, waiting for him.

"Do you think we've given it enough time to catch up?"

Kyle shrugged his shoulders as he backed out of the parking lot slowly.

"We can't be sure until it tries to kill us, really."

"So… we're just going to drive around for a while?"

"Yeah… but buckle up."

Sarah grabbed another apple from their grocery bags and took a bite, chewing quickly.

"Do you think we could go to my mom's house? I know that would be dangerous but if that thing is there… I… I just have to know if she is okay."

Kyle's lips pursed together as he thought it over, drawing in a slow breath.

"Where is it?"

"About 20 minutes from where we are now. That's why I asked."

Sarah stared expectantly at him, pressuring him for an answer. Kyle glanced at her with a small smile and shook his head.

"We'll stop by and see but that's all. No reuniting with her. It's too dangerous for both of you now."

"Thank you, Kyle."

"You're welcome."

Another moment of silence passed between them as Sarah finished her apple, wondering what to talk about next. Her mind was still racing with thoughts about what they had talked about. She turned away from Kyle, looking out the window at the passing cars, thinking about their normal, simple lives.

"Sarah…"

She instantly turned with the sound of his voice.

"Yeah?"

"This… this may not be the best time but I did want to talk to you about… last night."

Sarah's heart began to beat faster as she waited for him to continue, recognizing his hesitation.

"Sarah, I… I wanted to tell you that you were always there for me when I needed you. You were one of my closest friends in the war. But now that I'm here…"

Kyle pursed his lips and Sarah gasped as he pulled into the nearest parking lot, stopping the car. He turned to her, his eyes glancing over her quickly before he continued.

"You're not like her… you're so different. It's hard to imagine that you are supposed to be the same person. She… she had been hurt, a lot, in many different ways but you haven't been hurt like that before. You're still innocent and… kind. She was nice every once in a while but she was tough and militaristic. She just isn't like you."

Sarah nodded slowly, slightly confused, but listened to every word he said.

"She was like family to me but you…"

Kyle shook his head and glanced away, with one hand gripping the wheel. When he looked back at Sarah, she could see the way his green eyes had changed. They seemed fuller and softer.

"I've never loved any woman as much as I love you, Sarah."

Sarah's blue eyes widened as she looked at Kyle with a smile tucking at the corners of her mouth. Her heart seemed to burst inside of her, filling her with so much warmth that she had to find a way to get rid of it. She watched as Kyle quickly looked away, embarrassed.

"I… I shouldn't have said that."

Sarah sat there motionless for a second before she placed her hand on his shoulder, unlocking her seatbelt. He slowly turned back to her and she slid her hand up to his cheek. As she leaned forwards, she tilted her head to the right and watched as Kyle's moved to the left. It was the slightest movement but just enough. Sarah closed her eyes as her lips gently found his. As they kissed, she found herself holding the back of Kyle's head while he had his arm wrapped around her back. Sarah's eyes slowly opened as she pulled away, looking deeply into his eyes.

"I think I love you too, Kyle."

They stayed in their embrace for a few seconds longer, breathing slow and deeply. Sarah longed to kiss him again, to be close to him, but knew that this wasn't the place or the time. She smiled as she pulled further away, feeling Kyle's hand slowly release her. She spoke softly, putting her seatbelt on as she sat back in her seat.

"You'll want to take a right at the light."


	16. High Speed Nightmare

**Chapter 16: High Speed Nightmare**

Kyle followed every one of Sarah's instructions and stopped at the red light, watching as a fire truck and ambulance rushed by with their sirens flashing and their lights on. Sarah's body instantly tensed up as they watched the vehicles turn the same direction they were going. Kyle knew that she was trying to prepare herself for the worst but he knew that it wasn't going to end well. Instead of turning at the empty intersection, he continued to drive forward, turning at the next street.

Sarah glanced at him with confusion but didn't say a word as they quickly drove down the street, seeing black smoke and orange flames licking something not far from them. Kyle parked the car along a series of bushes and the two glanced out Sarah's window to see a house up in flames. A few of the neighbors were outside talking to a few police officers while the fire fighters tried to put out the fire. Kyle's heart fell as he watched Sarah stare at the flames, completely silent. He knew shock very well and any second it was going to break her.

Sarah reached to open the door but Kyle lunged forward, placing his hand on top of hers. She turned to him with her blue eyes brimming with tears. Her face contorted in pain as she looked back at the fire. Tears splashed down her cheeks as her breathing became quick and heavy. A small sob escaped her tight lips and she placed her hand over her mouth, turning away from the fire. Her body slumped forward as she began to sob, shaking her head quickly.

"She… she… she's dead."

Kyle knew what she wanted to hear him say but as he watched the scene, he knew that she was right. And if Sarah's mother was killed that meant that the machine wasn't too far away. In fact, it was probably waiting for them. Kyle started the car up again and pulled away quickly, trying to get away from the horror as fast as he could. Sarah continued to cry and he knew it was probably best to leave her alone for a few minutes while she tried to process everything.

"I'm… I'm all alone..."

She turned to Kyle with tears stains on her cheeks. Kyle noticed a black SUV pulling up behind them and instantly tensed up.

"That… that _thing_ it… it…"

Kyle reached out and took her hand, letting her squeeze it in pain and anger. Kyle retraced their steps to get back to the highway and merged on, glancing back to see the black SUV right behind them. Kyle hesitated, wondering if it was just some impatient driver but that was proven wrong the moment the SUV slammed into their back bumper. They screeched forward and Sarah gasped, squeezing his hand tighter.

She turned to look back at the SUV and quickly looked back at Kyle.

"Is that it?"

"I'm pretty sure."

The SUV sped up as if to ram them again but Kyle yanked the wheel to the left, going into the furthest lane, maneuvering their car around several other cars. They angrily honked their horns at the two of them but the black SUV rammed one of them from the back, sending it spiraling toward the median. Kyle weaved in and out of the lanes, glancing back at the mirror to see the SUV drawing closer.

A police car from the other side of the highway noticed the commotion and took the nearest U-turn, flipping on its lights and sirens as it began to chase them down. As cars rushed past them, Kyle slammed on the brake pedal, swinging the car into a U-turn of their own, racing down the other side of the road. The black SUV and the police car followed right behind them, passing the other cars quickly.

"Go, go, go!"

Kyle leaned forward in his seat, gritting his teeth.

"Yes, Sarah, I know."

His knuckles quickly turned white from gripping the steering wheel and constantly wondered what he could do next. Sarah turned around in her seat to help him get a better visual.

"The SUV is rolling down its window."

A moment of silence passed before Sarah screamed as she ducked her head down.

"It's got a gun!"

Two bullets hit the back of their car and Kyle kept his hand on Sarah's back, trying to keep her as far away from the line of fire as he could. Kyle noticed a bridge coming up ahead and swerved into that exit, crossing the bridge, weaving in and out of cars screaming out of their way. The SUV rammed into the back of their car again and Sarah's head hit the dashboard. She groaned in pain and clasped a hand to her forehead.

"Are you okay!?"

Sarah nodded slowly, still in shock and Kyle focused all of his attention on keeping her alive.

"Good, because I'm going to need you to throw some pipe bombs!"

Kyle made a hard right as they entered the upcoming tunnel as they heard more gunshots. Sarah fumbled with the bag in the passenger's seat, grabbing the gardening shears and hit them against the window, shattering it.

"I… I really don't think me throwing bombs is a good idea!"

"Please, Sarah!"

The car in front of them braked quickly and Kyle fumbled to do the same. Sarah held tight onto the door frame as the SUV rammed them from behind just as they crashed into the car in front of them. Sarah gripped a bomb in her hand and thrust her arm out of the window, pulling their makeshift pin and threw it at the car. She then ducked back inside the car just as the bomb exploded, sending smoke and fire across the tunnel. She tossed another one towards the ground so that the SUV ran over it, blowing out two of the tires.

The SUV skidded on the highway, pushing other cars with it. Kyle held his breath as he tried to swerve in and out of the commotion, slamming on the gas pedal at the last second. They sped out of the tunnel as the flaming SUV crashed into the side of the tunnel and Kyle quickly turned off of the highway, looking to get as far away as they could.

He slowed down and pulled off at a gas station.

"Close the bag, Sarah!"

Sarah zipped it shut and grabbed it, jumping out of the car as soon as he parked, watching him do the same. She noticed Kyle grab the pistol concealed under his jacket as they walked over to a man and woman on a motorcycle, filling up their tank. Sarah followed his lead, holding her breath when Kyle pulled out the gun and motioned for the two to step away. They hesitated but eventually parted with the bike, backing up with their hands in the air.

Sarah gripped the duffel bag as tight as she could as Kyle handed the guy a wad of cash in place of the man's keys. Kyle shoved them in the ignition and sat down quickly, revving the engine. The man and his girl watched with fear and anger as Sarah climbed on after Kyle, wrapping her arms around his waist as the bag rested on his lap. They then sped out of the gas station on the bike, looking for some place to lay low for a little while.


	17. Terminator Repairs

**Chapter 17: Terminator Repairs**

The Terminator's hand broke through the glass window on the door to the nearest car shop and twisted its metal arm until it could open the door. It shuffled slowly to toward the nearest toolbox, grabbing all the supplies it would need to repair itself. After the crash in the tunnel, its car had caught on fire and several police officers had tried to shoot it down but it had ended up as a massacre. The machine took off its charred, bloody, and bullet-ridden coat and set it down on the metal table, grabbing the tools.

The machine turned its head as its red eyes swept over the building, trying to find the closest mirror. As the machine walked towards the restroom, the Terminator's chip analyzed the extent on external and internal damage to its system. The data files transferred through its chip, giving it all the information it needed to repair itself. The machine set the tools down in the sink and looked up at its reflection, beginning the operation.

The Terminator ripped some of the flesh covering off of its left arm to reveal the pistons that were supposed to keep it moving. The left wrist and fingers had been damaged, causing limited movement. Its eyes scanned over the damage and flashed once it found the bullet lodged in one of the central pistons. The Terminator twisted its pointer finger so that it dug under the metal endoskeleton, inching towards the trapped bullet. Once it gripped the metal, the machine pulled, ripping it out of its arm.

The Terminator tossed the bloody bullet on the ground and worked to repair the pistons. The machine grabbed the screwdriver, prying the mechanical ulna bone out of its palace, pointing it out and away from the damage. The machine then grabbed the small blowtorch and used it to melt the metal edges of the pistons together and reattached the ulna, welding the two metal pieces together. Once it had finished welding it rose its arm up into the light, scanning over the details.

The pistons began to move smoother and the Terminator shifted its objective to sewing the skin back on its forearm. The machine pushed the skin back over its forearm and slowly began sewing the ends together. Once it was finished, the machine rotated its arms in several positions, making sure it was what it needed to be. Then the machine's eyes moved to the mirror to begin working on its face.

The Terminator brought its hands up and pushed its mechanical eye back where it was supposed to be and bent the metal rods in its face so that it would hold the eye in place. The cuts across the Terminator's face were minor and didn't require repair so the machine gathered the tools and walked out of the restroom. It slammed the toolbox back on the table and grabbed its jacket.

"Who's in there!?"

The Terminator ignored the shout and slipped its coat onto its shoulders, walking slowly towards the door. The machine opened it and was met with the owner of the small shop. The man raised his gun as if to shoot the machine but the Terminator reached forwards, gripping the barrel of the gun and bent it so that it was impossible to use.

Then the machine twisted the man's fingers causing him to release the gun and stumble back. When he moved forwards to fight, the Terminator slammed the man's head into the wall, leaving him crumpled on the floor. The Terminator walked into the parking lot and stepped inside the man's car. The machine hot-wired it effortlessly and shoved its gun in the passenger's seat, taking off with a cloud of dust behind.


	18. The Tiki Motel

**Chapter 18: The Tiki Motel**

Kyle sped down many streets, looking to escape on the back roads. Sarah had no idea where they were which worked because if something were to happen to one of them, they wouldn't know anything. He could feel Sarah's arms restricting his breathing with her tight grip and instantly noticed when she began to rest her head on his back. Kyle's eyes searched for a place to hide until he finally found a small, nearly run down motel that would perfectly fit their needs.

He quickly parked the bike and Sarah climbed off, holding the duffel bag. She still looked stunned from everything that happened and acted calm as if it hadn't had its effect on her yet. Kyle was worried about her, for sure, and told her to wait by the bike while he tried to see if he could book a room. He came back a few minutes later with a room and waved for Sarah to join him.

She stared down at her feet as they walked forward as Kyle led her there with a hand on his back. He locked the door after her and watched as she dumped the bag on the floor, lying down on the bed with her head turned away from him. She was sniffling softly, wiping tears from her cheeks as she stared ahead, wishing she could have called her mother before that machine had killed her.

Kyle bent down and grabbed the duffel bag, placing it on the small table at the end of the bed. He didn't say a word as he checked how much ammo they had left again, not knowing what to do. The past day had been an emotional roller coaster for Sarah and he didn't want to make it worse. Once he had finished, he let out a small breath, walking over to the bed.

He went and laid down next to her, looking into her blue eyes with sadness. Seeing her eyes red from tears caused his heart to fall inside of him. Kyle softly brushed a strand of her blonde hair out of her face. She drew in a small breath, smiling sadly at him.

"I… I never got to apologize to her."

"I'm sure she would have forgiven you."

"We… we got into a huge argument one day and… and I moved out of the house the next week. I hadn't talked to her since that day and now… now she's gone."

A tear fell from her right eye, traveling along her nose and Kyle watched as it fell onto the sheets.

"I… I could have apologized! But I didn't. I… I was so wrapped up in myself that I pushed her away and… and…"

Kyle placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it softly as she began to cry again, covering her face with her right hand. Instead of pulling away, Sarah shifted so that she was closer to Kyle, feeling him wrap his arm around her waist. He kissed her forehead softly as more tears fell down her cheeks. She glanced up to see tears welling up in his own eyes and realized just how much he had to have loved her. She didn't understand why or how… but she knew that he did love her.

Kyle laid down with her on the bed, holding her close to him, not willing to let go. He wished that he could shield her from any and every pain that would ever come across but knew that it was impossible. He listened to her every word and held her as she cried all the tears she had. Then she had kissed him again and they stayed in that bed together until the next morning.

—

Sarah drew in a slow breath before her blue eyes fluttered open, struggling to adjust to the morning light. She moved as if to stretch but found that she couldn't move. She turned her head slowly to see Kyle's arm wrapped tight around her. For a second she was surprised to find him shirtless but her memories of the night before finally came back and reminded her of what had happened. She smiled softly as she stayed there in his embrace, feeling her heart warm with every second she stayed there.

After a few minutes of peace, she decided to slowly turn so that she could look at Kyle clearly. As she moved, his arm stayed around her, shifting as she did. The comforter was wrapped tight around the both of them, keeping them close and warm. She smiled as she noticed how peaceful Kyle looked when he was sleeping and hesitated to wake him up but knew she had to.

Sarah reached out and caressed his cheek lightly, causing him to stir. She moved to pull away but was surprised to find Kyle's hand rise to his cheek, placing his hand over her's. She watched eagerly and felt her spirit soar once his green eyes opened to look at her. He chuckled softly as he released her hand, brushing some of her hair aside. Sarah let out a small sigh as she stared at Kyle.

"Why can't we just run and stay together forever?"

"Because it will follow us no matter how far we go. We'll fight and destroy it today."

"I don't want to lose you, Kyle. You're all I have right now."

Kyle smiled softly as he looked into Sarah's eyes.

"You could never lose me, Sarah. I will always be with you and love you no matter what."

"We could die fighting that machine."

Kyle grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand.

"But it would be worth it. If it works, we could leave this country and create another life for ourselves somewhere different and new. And we would never have to worry about the machines ever again. We'd be free."

"Do you think we can do it?"

"I know we can."

"I'm scared, Kyle."

"Don't be; we'll make it out, Sarah, I promise."


	19. Ready?

**Chapter 19: Ready?**

As Sarah grabbed her shoes from the edge of the bed and slipped them onto her feet, she felt thoughts begin to swirl inside of her head. There were only so many outcomes to what they were about to do and none of them sounded very pleasant. As Kyle slipped his coat on and grabbed the duffel bag, he looked at Sarah.

"You ready?"

Sarah slapped her hands on her knees as she stood up.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good."

They ate their last apples and protein bars to refuel for the day, trying to figure out how they were going to end this once and for all. Once they had finished eating, they walked out of their room and walked to their bike. Kyle stepped on and moved to turn the key in the ignition, but stopped and turned to notice Sarah standing on the sidewalk, hesitating to get on.

"I… I'm scared."

"You can do this, Sarah. I know you can. No matter what happens, just keep running."

"Kyle…"

"If you are alive, you run, okay, Sarah?"

Sarah nodded slowly as she looked at Kyle. He grabbed her right hand and led her next to the bike.

"What if you get hurt, Kyle?"

"If I am injured and unable to move, you leave me behind and keep running. You do _not_ go back for me. Do you understand?"

"That won't happen."

"I hope it won't but if it does then I need you to be ready."

Sarah stared at him, her eyes wide with fear but she leaned forward, kissing him again, breathing in as much of the moment as she could. He rested his hands on her hips and kissed her forehead once she pulled away. Kyle let go of her hands and bit his lip nervously.

"Okay… let's go."

"We don't know where it is."

Kyle shook his head as he stepped onto the bike.

"I turned on the news last night after you fell asleep. The police had tracked the machine and followed it to a factory not too far away. No one made it out alive."

"Then what chance do we have against it?"

Kyle smiled, trying to look brave despite his own fear.

"You're Sarah Connor… you'll make it through. And besides, they don't know Terminators like I do. So… what do you say? Ready to destroy some metal?"

Sarah nodded, taking the bag of guns from his hands.

"We might as well."


	20. Factory Chase

**Chapter 20: Factory Chase**

Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor parked just outside the factory and slowly walked towards the back of the building. With every step, Sarah grew more scared but she followed right behind Kyle, not willing to let him go alone. Kyle slammed his elbow into the window and reached around to unlock the door. He drew his hand out and opened the door, keeping a tight grip on his gun. He and Sarah walked past many moving mechanisms in the factory, keeping their eyes open for any signs of the Terminator.

Sarah's heart pounded fiercely against her chest as they searched around every corner, waiting for it to pop out at them. Every once in a while a vent would release steam; startling Sarah and Kyle would look back and reassure her. They snuck past several panels with different colored buttons on them, ducking just in case someone or something was watching for them. Sarah glanced over shoulder to double check that they were clear and a second after she turned the corner, a bullet landed in the wall not too far from them.

Sarah let out a shriek of surprise and Kyle gripped her hand, pulling her away from it as fast as it possibly could. Sarah reached into Kyle's coat pocket and gripped a pipe bomb in her hands, ready to pull the pin. She turned the corner once more and threw it down at the machine only to have it fire its shotgun above their heads. They quickly ran past a series of conveyor belts before Kyle ducked down, pulling Sarah with him once more.

"I'm going to try and fight it up close."

"Please be careful."

"Just run if something happens, Sarah."

Sarah nodded and watched as he ran away from her, inching closer to the machine. Within seconds, shots were being fired causing Sarah to tense up. Her hands began to shake as she watched, looking for any sign of movement. Kyle was fighting the machine hard but it kept moving closer. Despite her fear, she knew that she couldn't leave Kyle to fight it alone. So she ran across the walkway, towards her lover. He gripped her arm and pushed her back a few steps.

"Start the hydraulic press! Maybe if we crush it, it will deactivate."

Sarah nodded and ran back the way she had come, dodging bullets as the Terminator tried to shoot her down. She slipped on a pool of oil and hit the floor, slamming her legs into the machine. She winced in pain but slowly rose to her feet, looking for the controls. Kyle kept firing shots, trying to lead the machine towards her which was a horrible idea but the only one that they had.

"Get away from there!"

Sarah glanced over her shoulder to see the Terminator coming around the corner, headed straight for her. She ducked behind the press, running for Kyle. She didn't stop until Kyle gripped her shirt, pulling her toward a set of stairs. Kyle threw a pipe bomb at the Terminator and it exploded in a flash of light, burning the clothes and flesh off of the machine. Together, Sarah and Kyle ran up the stairs with the machine closing in behind them. Kyle fumbled in his pockets for more ammo as he reloaded his gun, trying to keep his hands steady.

Sarah gasped once the metal skeleton came into view. All hopes of destroying the metal monster faded once she was met with its true form.

The machine was made up of silver metal that had been shaped like a human was but instead of bones there was metal. It had white teeth that curved into a smile, making Sarah's skin crawl. Its red eyes scanned over the two young people and Sarah felt her limbs freeze with fear. She stumbled behind Kyle, staring straight into its red eyes, seeing no remorse in them. She was face to face with the machine who wanted nothing more than for her to be dead.

She numbly stared at the machine, not even registering Kyle's shots at the machine. His arm gripped her forearm, pulling her up the staircase as the machine's hand shot out to grab her. Sarah gasped and Kyle pushed her down the opposite staircase, leading towards the heart of the factory.

"Run, Sarah!"

Sarah didn't hesitate. She turned away from Kyle and pounded down the staircase with her hands firmly grasping the metal rails. She turned to see Kyle toss his gun to the side, grabbing a metal pole. It was a desperate attempt and somehow Sarah knew it wasn't going to end well but she wasn't thinking about that at the time. He began to hit the machine with the pole, ducking as it swing its fist toward his head. Kyle hit the machine again only to have it grip the pole, throwing Kyle to the ground like a rag doll.

Kyle gasped in pain and fumbled for the pipe bomb in his pocket. He pulled the pin and placed it in the machine's midsection, immediately turning to run. Sarah ducked to the ground as the bomb went off and she heard a loud crash. She opened her eyes to see that Kyle had fallen over the railing and onto a walkway below. He gasped in pain, struggling to move.

Sarah noticed the machine move toward him and screamed.

"KYLE!"

Without thinking much of it, Sarah ran toward Kyle, hoping she would make it in time, dropping her pistol on the ground. But the machine jumped down and punched Kyle in the chest before he could get away. Sarah screamed and crashed to her knees as she watched Kyle lay motionless on the factory floor with blood spilling from his chest. Tears blurred in her eyes as she moved to run away, terrified of the machine.

Her heart pounded ferociously against her ribs making the blow of Kyle's death heavier than she thought it could be. She struggled to contain her sobs as she turned the corner, running from the Terminator. The Terminator grabbed the pistol she had dropped and fired the gun. Sarah screamed in agony as her leg exploded in pain, sending her sprawling on the floor. She gritted her teeth as hard as she could, trying to keep herself from blacking out.

She began to crawl toward the hydraulic press with every ounce of strength she had left. She was gasping for air with only her fear and anger pushing her forward. She gripped the metal railing and shouted in pain as she forced herself to her feet. She tried to move past it, gritting her teeth so hard they grinded together. She reached for the button to start the press only to have something rip her arm away from it. She cried out in pain once more as the Terminator twisted her arm and turned her so that it faced the machine.

She stared straight into the bright and horrible red eyes of the machine and knew that she would not die; not tonight. The machine quickly released her arm and clasped its fingers around her throat, throwing her down on the conveyor belt. Sarah gasped for breath, feeling her face flush red from the loss of oxygen. She struggled against the machine's grip as she felt her consciousness slowly slip away. Despite her lack of oxygen, she managed to reach into her pocket and pull out her last pipe bomb.

Her eyes trained themselves on the pin, knowing that this was the only thing she had left from Kyle. Knowing what he would want, she pulled the pin and shoved it into the Terminator's body. The machine retracted quickly, trying to grab the bomb. Time seemed to slow as it exploded. Sarah was flung off the conveyor belt, hitting the wall painfully, twisting her ankle as she landed. Her head hit the floor causing her mouth to fill with blood and for a moment she was choking on her own blood, struggling to breathe.

But as soon as she had gathered her last bit of strength, she ducked under the conveyor belt, thrusting herself to the other side. She screamed in pain as the bullet embedded in her leg moved but continued to push forward for Kyle. She had to. She slammed her bloody hand on the button and started the conveyor belt, dodging the Terminator's fists. She pushed the damaged metal body onto the conveyor belt and hobbled to the controls once more.

She pressed the button for the hydraulic press and watched as the Terminator's red eyes stared straight at her, its hand outstretched. It felt the importance of its mission but Sarah kept her hand on the button, making sure it would be crushed. Metal groaned and Sarah felt like collapsing once she saw the red eyes dim to black. Sarah Connor fell to her knees despite all her pain and drew in thick, heavy breaths. She was free.


	21. Alone

**Chapter 21: Alone**

The moment the Terminator died Sarah felt all the anger and sadness begin to explode inside of her. She leaned forward, drawing in a deep breath and screamed. She screamed as loud as she could, feeling the power course through her veins. Her screams then turned to sobs as she thought of everything she had lost over the past few days. She could see Becky, Sam, the college, and Big Jeff's Diner in the back of her mind, knowing she could never go back to that. Not now.

Her mind then traveled to the black smoke and orange flames that had risen from her mother's house. That Terminator had killed her and Sarah had never gotten to apologize to her. Then she saw Kyle in her mind and curled her fist, slamming it down on the concrete floor. She glanced up at the Terminator's crushed skull through her tears and shouted all the insults she could think of. Everything from her mind came out of her mouth unfiltered and raw. Everything had just built up to the point where she couldn't keep it inside any longer.

Sarah continued to sob as she hobbled across the floor, walking as far as she could before her injured leg gave out. She then continued to crawl towards Kyle, fighting all the pain she was in. Once she reached his side, she gripped his arm, looking over him as she sobbed. He was bloody, beaten, and bruised but he looked peaceful in his death and that was enough to make Sarah begin to tremble. She kissed his cheek, feeling no warmth there and drew away slowly, shaking from the pain.

That Terminator had killed him. Kyle was the first person she had ever truly loved. He had given everything up for her so she could live. The machine had taken away his second chance at a life without war. It had destroyed his hope in an instant, separating the two of them forever. Sarah collapsed on top of him, sobbing.

"Please, Kyle. Don't leave me. I love you! Please, come back to me!"

Tears streamed down her face as she whimpered for him to come back to her. Her hands were balled into tight fists with white knuckles. Sarah cried until she couldn't anymore. She placed her hands over her aching heart and pressed against it, fighting all the pain. As the tears fell from her eyes they stung, cutting across her cheeks like knives. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that if she opened them that he would sit up and tell her that he was okay. And that they could be together forever.

Sarah thought she heard someone shouting in the distance but she didn't acknowledge it. She clung to her dead lover, sobbing. The voice drew closer and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out.

"Miss, what… what are you doing in here?"

Sarah's sobs resumed as her reply. Within minutes she could hear police and ambulance sirens blaring loudly but she seemed to be in a trance. Once the man had left her side to show the authorities the destroyed, she painfully pulled Kyle's coat off of his dead body. She didn't care that his blood was on it. She wanted it to stay there, just over her heart, right where he belonged.

Two paramedics rushed to her side and tried to pull her away but she fought against them. She leaned forwards, kissing Kyle one last time before they pried her off of him. She wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth as the man tried to comfort her. But there was nothing he could say to dampen the pain she felt in her heart.

She turned away from Kyle Reese and wrapped her arms around the paramedic, seeking warmth. He received her and told her that everything was going to be okay even though she knew it was a lie. The paramedic slowly loaded Sarah onto a stretcher and she didn't fight because she was too weak to do so. Sarah turned her head slowly to see two paramedics zipping Kyle up in a large black bag.

More tears splashed down her cheeks as she realized she would never see him again. She would never feel his embrace or hear his voice. He would never be there to hold her at night when she would dream of that terrible machine. She was alone. The paramedic noticed she was crying again and began to talk to her, trying his best to help dampen the horror she had experienced.

But they could never understand why Sarah hurt the way she did. An empty metal shell had been ordered to kill her and had done everything it could to hurt her. She felt like she had cheated. She was supposed to be the one who died… not Kyle. Kyle had completed his mission. He had kept her alive and Sarah was going to remember, love, and honor him for the rest of her life. And moments before she blacked out, she vowed that she would never move on from the soldier from the future.


	22. There's A Storm Coming

**Chapter 22: There's A Storm Coming**

Sarah Connor drew in a deep breath of the humid Mexico air as the wind blew her blonde hair all over her face. She had tried to pull it back in an effort to keep some of the bangs back but it didn't really bother her. She squinted behind the sunglasses as she drove directly towards the sun on a deserted road. She passed by dirt and desert plants in her red Jeep, glancing every so often at the pistol lying in the passenger's seat.

Her eyes drifted from the road to the tape recorder by the side of her seat and lifted it up, placing it in her lap. She pressed the record button and began to speak whatever came to her mind.

"Tape 7, November 10. Where was I?"

She paused for a moment before she drew in another breath and continued.

"What's most difficult for me is trying to decide what to tell you and what not to."

Sarah glanced down at her lap and placed a hand on her pregnant stomach, rubbing it gently.

"But I guess I have a while yet before you're old enough to even understand these tapes. They're more for me at this point, just so I can get it straight."

She drew in another breath as if to continue but stopped the recording instead and set it down in the passenger's seat as she noticed a gas station up ahead. Her blue eyes scanned over the small faded yellow convenience store with advertisements littered on the windows almost in desperation, waiting for someone to purchase something. She pulled off the road but quickly slowed down once she noticed a few chickens in the way, maneuvering around them.

She saw an old blue car that looked as if it were too old to be running next to a rack of torn tires. Sarah stopped at the gas pump and the Jeep creaked as she shut off the engine. She took off her seatbelt and stepped out of the car, letting out a deep breath. She took her sunglasses off and glanced down at a Spanish Dictionary in her hands. The wind flowed under her long gray dress that accentuated her stomach. She turned slowly to see a man in a red plaid shirt and tan hat walk up to her.

"Uh… gasolina por favor?"

"Ah, quanto."

She glanced back at the book and asked the man in English if he could fill it up for her to which he kindly agreed. Sarah ran her hand over her stomach again, breathing heavily before she stepped back into the car and clicked the record button again.

"Should I tell you about your father? Boy, that's a tough one. There's so much I could say about him but you're too young to know most of it. A person could go crazy thinking about this."

Sarah smiled sadly into the distant and let out a quick sigh as she glanced down at her stomach and gently rubbed it.

"I suppose I will tell you. I owe him that. Maybe it'll help if you know that in the few days that we had together, we loved a lifetime's worth."

Sarah's attention instantly shifted once she heard the click of a camera and turned to see a small boy with a large camera, pulling out a photograph. He spoke to her in Spanish and she looked at him confused, relieved to see the man from earlier return.

"What did he just say?"

"He says you are very beautiful, senorá and it is a shame to ask you for five American dollars for this picture but if he doesn't, his father will beat him."

Sarah's eyes drifted back to the boy, staring straight into his brown eyes with a smile.

"Pretty good hustle, kid."

Then she held up her fingers and spoke softly.

"Quatro."

"Sí, sí!"

She handed the boy his money and he gave her the photograph with a smile on his face.

"Graciás!"

He took the money and ran off as she looked down at the picture with a smile. She tucked it under the tape recorder so it wouldn't fly away in the wind and turned once she heard the boy shout something to her in Spanish.

"What did he just say?"

"He said there's a storm coming in."

Sarah turned away from the man and let out a small breath, staring ahead of her.

"I know."

Then she pulled up her sunglasses and started the car, quickly driving away from the gas station. She could see dark clouds rolling ahead of her in the sky as well as hear thunder in the distance but she drove straight towards the storm, ready for whatever it decided to throw at her.

 **Next Up:**

 **T1.5: The Connors**


End file.
